


The Plague From the Old Gods

by cmyatt01



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Aunt/Nephew Incest, Bran is useful and not a plank of driftwood, Dany gets over Jon's Parentage, Don't Break Vows, F/M, Fixing season 8... with some differences in season 7 and 6, Jon gets over his and Dany's shared blood, Jon knows more than two lines, Jonerys TOGETHER, Not my Season 8, People Will Die, Please see chapter 3 for my changes to canon, Pregnancy, R Plus L Equals J, Rating May Change, Sansa will have no redemption, Smut - maybe, The Old Gods (ASoIaF), Tyrion is loyal to Dany, fuck D&D, no Mad Queen, not for fans of Sansa, not sansa friendly
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-18
Updated: 2021-02-18
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:15:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 30,420
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25312927
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cmyatt01/pseuds/cmyatt01
Summary: The Old Gods are pissed Sansa broke the vow she made under the Heart Tree.*Please read the end of chapter 3 for very important information about this story*
Relationships: Jon Snow/Daenerys Targaryen
Comments: 471
Kudos: 846





	1. Truths

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mywishingglass](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mywishingglass/gifts).



> Hello - Sorry for deleting my account before, I just needed to take a step back for a bit. But I am back now and will begin to work on this story again. I have edited this from the original (like nearly doubled the first chapter, because I literally wrote it in like an hour and it was really rough.) - If you want to read the original, just do a search for "Plague From the Old Gods" and it come right up.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jon tells his sisters the truth of his birth. However, before leaving the Godswood, Bran shares more information with Jon.

* * *

* * *

The winds of winter were upon them. The icy gusts were rustling through the blood red leaves of the Great Weirwood that stood in the Godswood of Winterfell as Jon stood with his gloved hand on the white bark of the tree, praying the Old Gods heard his prayer. 

He prayed that everything would work out. 

He was upset at the icy reception the North had shown his Queen, even after she marched North and sacrificed her Armies and a Dragon. He prayed the people of the North, and Sansa, would come to see Daenerys as the savior she was just as he had promised her after she saved him and his companions beyond the Wall. He prayed his people would quit being so fucking stubborn and realize they would all be dead if she had not assisted them in the Great War. 

Lastly, he prayed that no one would plot against her. However, if someone did, he prayed that the Old Gods would keep her safe.

The former  _ Bastard of Winterfell _ and The Three Eyed Raven had just finished telling their sisters, Sansa and Arya, the truth about himself after they swore an oath of secrecy under the Weirwood. He had told them he was not really the honorable Eddard Stark’s bastard son that was in fact the son of his sister Lyanna, and her husband the former crown prince, Rhaegar Targaryen. 

He had actually been surprised how well they had taken it. They both told him his birth did not define who he was. He was and always will be their brother and he would have a home in Winterfell until the end of his days.

However, as soon as he told them, he would not press his claim for the Iron Throne, his redheaded sister slapped him across the face. She screamed that he was a fool, who had been bewitched by the exotic beauty of the Dragon Queen. She declared he is thinking with his cock instead of his head. Then she proclaimed Daenerys would be the death of him, the Starks and all of the North, just like Talisa had been responsible for the deaths of Mother and Robb and so many other Northmen at the Red Wedding. 

Jon watched in a stunned silence as Sansa proceeded to storm off in the direction of Winterfell’s main keep. He wanted to go after her. He needed to make her understand that Dany was good for all of Westeros. That if she just took some time to get to know her, or even talk to Missandei or Grey Worm or any of the others that followed her from Essos, she could come to this conclusion on her own. He had honestly believed Sansa and Dany would have bonded over their similar pasts. The Warden of the North could not believe how wrong his assessment had been. 

Arya, grabbing his arm, and pulling him into a strong embrace broke his stupor. She told him to let Sansa process all of the information. That she would come around. HIs wild, deadly little sister also reminded him she did not care who sired him. Ned Stark raised him as his own. He was the one who molded him into the honorable man he had become, and he would always be her brother. After breaking their embrace, she had stated she would go check on Sansa and help her to realize that she was being stupid.

Jon was not worried about Arya because she had taken an immediate liking to his queen. She had told Jon that Daenerys reminded her of the Targaryen queens they learned about as children. The two women had even developed a friendship during their time in Winterfell after Dany had taken her for a ride on the back of Drogon. 

Arya had also believed in him even when he had not believed in himself, and therefore, she had trusted his decision to bend the knee; she knew he would never do anything to jeopardize the safety and security of the North. 

After his prayer, Jon removed his hand from the Heart Tree and began to make his way back towards the castle’s training yard.

“Wait, Jon, I need to speak with you,” Bran called in his monotone voice. “There is more you must know.”

Jon, halted. He sighed as he turned around and returned to where his brother was sitting in his wheeled chair, under the canopy of Weirwood.

He loved his younger brother dearly, but at that moment, he had more important matters that needed his attention. Not only did he need to prepare for the march south, he now needed to find Sansa, he needed to make sure Arya was able to talk some sense into her before she did something stupid.

“It’s too late for you to stop her,” Bran stated as if he was reading his mind. “Sansa has chosen her path.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Jon replied with a furrowed brow. He could feel his heart starting to beat harder in his chest.

“It means the Old Gods heard your prayer. They will keep her safe from all those that wish her harm.” Bran paused dramatically before continuing, “Sansa has already broken her oath to you and the old gods are not pleased.”

The former King in the North was flabbergasted. Firstly, he could not believe the Old Gods had heard his prayer. After his death and resurrection, he felt as though his faith in any gods had been somewhat fractured; he did not know how any gods could allow for one person to be unwillingly sacrificed so that another might live. Secondly, he could not believe Sansa so quickly broke her vow. He had honestly presumed Arya would talk to her and get her to calm down. Then they would have dinner tonight as a family and she would realize what a petulant bitch she had been. 

“What?” Jon finally breathed out, still trying to comprehend that the Lady of Winterfell had broken a sacred vow.

“As soon as she left the Godswood, she ran into Tyrion on the battlements and told him your secret. Tyrion is loyal to Queen Daenerys though. He is on his way to speak with her… He does not know you have already confessed to her the truth of your birth.”

“Fuck!” Jon muttered under his breath. “I gotta get there first.”

“Before you go, there is something else you need to know.”

“What else could you possibly have to tell me,” exacerbation clear in his tone. All he wanted to do was get to Dany before Tyrion did.

“Daenerys is not in her rooms at the moment.”

“Then where is she?”  _ If she is not in her rooms, maybe I can get to her first and tell her that Sansa blabbed. _

“She is with Maester Wolken.”

“With the Maester? Did Sansa already send someone to hurt her? Is she alright?”

“Jon, the queen is fine. Maester Wolken has just confirmed what you told her in the Dragonpit is true.”

Jon’s heart began to race. He remembered speaking to Daenerys about many different things in the Dragonpit. He recalled a conversation where he said Tyrion’s assessment could be correct… that they were fucked if Cersei did not send her troops north. But if Maester Wolken received information from the south, why would be go to the Queen with that information first. Maesters were supposed to be loyal to the house they served, not the realm. 

He also remembered _ that  _ conversation clearly, but he did not want to get his hopes up. On the boat to White Harbor, he had put great effort in proving it to her she would not be the last of her house. However, he had been a complete ass to her since discovering the truth of his parentage and she had every right to hate him. 

He knew that he still loved her but he was conflicted. 

At first he was upset because he was in love and desired his own blood. He was disgusted that his every dream was about the ways he would carnally show his aunt how much he desired to become one with her. However, after speaking with Bran and doing some research of the Stark family tree, he learned it was not completely uncommon for the Starks and other Northern families to marry cousins to cousins or Uncles to nieces. 

Now, however, he was conflicted because he did not know who he was - he knew how to be a Stark, but not how to be a Targaryen. And how would he apologize to her after being such a dick to her over the last couple of weeks.

“And what would that be?” Jon finally croaked out. His voice was small. He needed his brother to confirm what he was hoping was true.

A smirk appeared on the corner of his younger brother’s lips as he stated, “The witch was not a reliable source of information… Queen Daenerys is with child, Jon. Your child.”

Jon felt as if he had been punched in the gut. All of the air left his lungs. He was going to be a father. The woman he loved most in the world… The woman he had pushed away… his aunt, was carrying his babe in her belly. She was carrying his heir… Their heir.

“Go to her Jon,” Bran encouraged. “I saw the look in your eyes that first night you made love to her on the boat from Dragonstone to White Harbor.  _ Love comes from the eyes. _ You must go to her and stitch the rift between the two of you. Your child needs both of his parents.”

Jon nodded and tried not to think that his brother had watched him fucking his aunt as began to make his way back to the Keep. He had taken just a few steps when he realized Bran would be in the freezing Godswood all alone with nothing but a small fur blanket to keep him warm. 

“Do you need help back to the castle?” He asked as he turned around.

“Damn it Jon! Get your ass in the castle! Dany just arrived back to her chambers and Tyrion and Varys will be there shortly. You must prove to her that you finally have your head out of your ass and confess your undying love for her! You must combine your claims to the Throne so people cannot pit you against one another. It is the only way,” Bran exclaimed in an uncharacteristic shower of emotion.

“Aye, I love her,” Jon confessed and before Jon knew it, he was standing outside of the wooden door leading to Dany’s chambers. He was just about to knock when a familiar voice called to him.

“Ah, the Bastard of Winterfell,” The Hand of the Queen said with a smile. “I wasn’t expecting to see you outside of the door leading to our Queen’s chambers.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know what you think in the comments. I am almost done revising/editing the second chapter, and will probably post on Monday.


	2. Guarded

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jon speaks with the Hand of the Queen and the Spider while they wait for Queen Daenerys to arrive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please enjoy.

* * *

* * *

“Ah, the Bastard of Winterfell,” The Hand of the Queen said with a smile. “I wasn’t expecting to see you outside of the door leading to our Queen’s chambers.”

“The Dwarf of Casterly Rock,” Jon replied, turning his head toward where Tyrion’s voice had come from. It was then, he noticed the Queen’s Master of Whispers, who was blending into the shadows beside the imp. “Lord Varys,” he added with a slight nod of acknowledgement.

“Lord Snow,” the perfumed eunuch replied, voice smooth as honey, his hands folded inside the furlined silky sleeves of his black Essosi robes. “I must say, I am surprised to see you standing outside of the Queen’s chambers… considering you have spent no time alone with the Queen in her chambers since the two of you returned from your little afternoon dragon ride, prior to the Battle for the Dawn.” 

“I’ve been a bit… preoccupied. First, I was busy helping our armies prepare the battle. Now, I have been overseeing the cleanup efforts,” Jon replied lamely. Although it was not a lie, it was only a half truth. In reality, he had been looking for any task, no matter how meaningless, in an attempt to stay busy so he could keep his mind off the truth of his birth and the fact that he was in love with his Aunt. 

However, at the man’s words, Jon recalled that afternoon with his Queen quite vividly. He and his Dany had flown on the backs of Drogon and Rhaegal to the secluded, picturesque waterfall deep in the Northern mountains. Then how they found a hot spring, located in the cave behind the waterfall, and made love for hours. That was one of the best days of his life, until Sam and Bran had told him the truth about his parents. 

_Why in the seven hells was I even upset that she is my aunt… It's not like she is my sister or my mother… Bran even reminded me that Grandpa Rickard and Grandma Lyarra were first cousins. The gods didn’t see our relationship as incestous, so why was I so freaked out… I don’t think it was our shared blood. I think it was just the shock of being lied to all my life. Gods I am so fucking stupid! Please let her take me back._

“I must say, that was a sight to see,” Varys continued in his sickly sweet tone. “I never would have dreamed I would see you, a northern _bastard_ , flying alone on the back of one of the Queen’s dragons.”

“What do you mean?” Jon inquired, his eyes staring directly into the two dark orbs of the Master of Whispers. The Warden of the North was searching for any indication the man was already aware he was the son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark. That he was not the bastard everyone believed him to be. That he was a trueborn Targaryen. _Did Tyrion already tell him?_ However, the man’s facial emotions were unreadable.

“I must admit, it got me wondering… Just who Lord Stark bedded during Robert’s Rebellion.”

“Lord Stark never told me who my mother was. He never told me if she was living or dead. He never told me if she knew anything about me or my upbringing. So, he must not have thought it to be important,” Jon said, hoping his tone showed indifference.

“Oh, but it is,” the Master of Whispers persisted even though the tone of his voice and facial expressions remained undecipherable. “It is important because the only logical solution is that your mother was of Valyrian descent… Perhaps an unknown Targaryen or Blackfyre or Velaryon bastard that had been hidden away. I have had my little birds searching for years to uncover any clues that could be used to solve this elusive mystery. Nevertheless, they always returned with no songs that could be sung.”

However, the former King in the North was not put at ease by the man’s words. They only made his brain work harder because he still could not read the man’s expression. He wondered if Lord Varys thought he was a danger to Daenerys or if he wanted to place him on the Throne just because he had a cock between his legs. He did not know if the Master of Whispers was telling the truth or lying to his face. _I wonder if he has suspected who my parents were all along. I wonder if he is just waiting for me to slip up to confirm his suspicions are indeed correct._

“Perhaps she was,” Jon stated, keeping his tone calm and even, though the tension between the two men was palpable. “But who my mother was is no longer important to me. I haven’t thought about who she was since I joined the Night’s Watch.”

The sound of a knocking on the door caused Jon to break eye contact with the plump man, and look toward the Queen’s door.

“Why don’t we do what we came here to do... visit with the Queen,” Tyrion announced with a smile on his face. It was clear he was trying to dispel the tension between the Warden of the North and the Queen’s Master of Whispers.

_Fuck! I wanted to speak with her alone! I wanted to tell her of Sansa’s treachery and warn her Tyrion knows the truth!_ “Of course,” Jon replied with a forced smile.

A few moments later, Missandei opened the door, and smiled as though she had been expecting them. She granted the three men entrance and led them the couches by the hearth in the sitting room. After making sure they were comfortable, she stated she would inform the Queen of their arrival and that they were requesting an audience.

“So, bastard,” The Queen’s Hand stated bluntly. Once Jon’s gaze met the Imp’s mismatched eyes he continued. “As you said in the hallway, you have been a very busy man since your arrival in the North… Why is it now that you now seek an audience with Queen Daenerys,” Tyrion inquired as he swirled the red wine in his pewter goblet and took a sip.

“I am the Warden of the North,” _King of the Seven Kingdoms if she will have me,_ “I did not know it would be seen as odd that I have requested an audience,” he replied nonchalantly. 

“I never said it was odd, I would just say it is…” The imp paused as though he were searching for the correct words, “unexpected... considering you have seemed to do whatever possible to keep yourself at a distance from her over the last few weeks.”

_Well, I might as well be somewhat honest with them. Tyrion already knows the truth and Dany will be here shortly. These are her advisors but I will never trust Lord Varys with this information unless Dany thinks it is necessary._

“I told my sisters something... a truth,” _about myself,_ “I learned just after arriving at Winterfell. This is a secret I felt, my family,” _Dany and my sisters_ , “had a right to know,” Jon stated in a low, firm voice. He then directed his attention to the Queen’s hand, his gaze hardening. “However, before sharing this information, I had them both swear a vow of secrecy to the Old Gods of the North under the Heart Tree in our Godswood. A vow that if for any reason is broken, the person risks the wrath of the old gods themselves.” Jon paused, to allow his words to sink in.

“That still does not explain why you are here, my Lord,” Varys spoke dryly. 

Jon could tell the Master of Whispers was fishing for more information. He was aware Lord Varys was doing whatever he could to get him to tell his truth.

“Because, I have, on good authority, received information that my sister, Sansa, the Lady of Winterfell, has already broken this sacred vow. She has already notified at least one person of this secret with the intent for it to be used to harm myself and someone I admire and care for deeply,” Jon answered, never taking his eyes off Lord Tyrion. The Imp swallowed hard. Jon could tell Tyrion understood that he was aware that Sansa had gone straight to him and divulged the truth Lord Stark took to his grave. “And when too many people know a secret, it is no longer a secret… It becomes information.” 

“And why does this pertain to the Queen?” Varys persisted. 

The Spider’s question ended Jon’s silent conversion with the dwarf of Casterly Rock. The Warden of the North turned his steely gaze towards the Master of Whispers and spoke definitively. “Because, Lord Varys, if the information I shared... with those I thought would never harm me... falls into the wrong hands, one of those people might begin plotting against our Queen. And I can assure you, I want no harm to befall Queen Daenerys and as her advisors, I doubt neither of you do as well.”

“Which is why I must tell the Queen this information,” Tyrion stated. “If the wrong person gets wind of this information, someone might ki--”

“My Lord Hand,” Jon cut him off, “The Queen is already aware of this information.”

“What?” The Dwarf breathed out, confusion clearly seen on his face. 

“Aye, I also felt as though she had a right to know. Therefore, I told her, just before the battle against the Army of the Dead.”

“You mean to tell me that she has known this information for nearly a fortnight and she has not yet shared it with me! I am her Hand! She is supposed to tell me these things!” Tyrion exclaimed. “How am I supposed to advise her when she is keeping information like this a secret from me!”

“And what would this information be,” Varys pressed. It was clear he did not like being the last to know juicy information, considering it was his job to know the truth about everyone and everything.

Jon sighed, relief washing through him that Tyrion had not shared the truth of his birth and true identity. However, that moment was ruined when the voice of the queen rang clearly through the room.

“The truth about Jon’s parents, Lord Varys.”

_Seven Fucking Hells!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think in the comments! 😊
> 
> Next update should be out later this week ❤️


	3. The Talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jon and Dany talk.
> 
> * Please be sure to read the bolded text at the end for important information about this story - 7/23/20: I have updated this section. *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you Chin for the read through - your are really the best! ❤
> 
> Please see my note at the end of the chapter for important information about this story.

* * *

* * *

_ The truth about Jon’s parents, Lord Varys.” _

Jon’s head whipped around to see his beautiful Queen walking into the sitting room from her bedchambers. Her moon-kissed hair was intricately pulled away from her face in a series of complex braids. Her queenly persona was in place. The tone in her voice was terse. Her demeanor was aloof. However, to Jon, she looked radiant. She looked just as powerful and confident as the day walked into the throne room at Dragonstone nearly a year ago. The sight of her still took his breath away. 

_ She is carrying my babe… Gods I need to talk to her, alone. I have so much to tell her. _

“And if this information about Lord Snow’s parents could be used against you, why have you not told us, your Grace?” the Spider inquired with a furrowed brow. 

Jon did not care for the tone in the eunuch's voice. He wanted to throw him up against the wall and threaten him just as he had Lord Baelish in the crypts. He determined he did not trust the Spider. But he knew threatening or injuring the plump Essoi bastard would make things worse. As much as he wanted, he knew he could not threaten the Queen’s Master of Whispers without proof of his treachery.  _ I need to talk to Bran after I leave… Maybe Dany will come with me. Hopefully he will be able to tell me Lord Varys’ true intentions and what he is planning. _

“My Lords, I did not tell you because it is not my secret to tell,” Dany stated icily as she glared at her Hand and her Master of Whispers. “If Jon would like to share this information with you, it will be his decision and his alone.” 

However, when she met Jon’s gaze, he saw the slight plea in her eyes to keep this knowledge a secret. Jon was thankful because he did not trust the plump man, a man who had a history of betraying each monarch he had served. Jon had a feeling in his gut that if her chosen Master of Whispers learned this information, he would use the truth of his parentage to betray Dany. That he will find a way to kill her and their unborn child just so he could place him… a male heir, on the Iron Throne. Jon was learning to be a proper king, but knew Lord Varys would think it would be easier to control him because he had been raised as a Stark and was less impulsive than Daenerys who had been raised to know there was fire flowing through her veins.

“Lord Varys, I do not feel it is important for you to know,” Jon quickly stated. “As I said, a few moments ago, when too many people know a secret, it becomes information. If the truth of my parents fell into the wrong hands, it could be used against  _ our  _ Queen.” He continued to stare into the Master of Whisper’s beedy eyes,  _ I do not trust you not to spread this information to every house in Westeros. Any Lord could kill my Dany in hopes that I would marry their daughter.  _ “Therefore, I feel it is time for you and Lord Tyrion to take your leave because I wish to discuss this matter further with the queen,  _ alone _ , before any decisions are made.” 

Tyrion nodded and began to walk towards the door, but stopped when he realized the Master of Whispers was not following. 

Varys stood rooted in place, eyes narrowing as he stared at Jon. “I do not take dismissals or orders from the Warden of the Nor- ”

“Lord Varys,” Dany interrupted. Once she had his attention, she continued, “Jon asked you to leave. Winterfell is _ his  _ castle and we are  _ his  _ guests. I believe it is in  _ your  _ best interest to heed his request.” Her tone was strong and left no room for protest.

“As you wish, your Grace,” Varys conceded before he bowed his head and left the room with the Hand of the Queen.

As soon as he was alone with Dany, Jon froze. The air between them felt as thick as the day he visited Bran before leaving for the Wall - the day the former Lady of Winterfell, Catelyn Tully Stark said he should have been the one that was injured, the one lying in bed, fighting for his life. And just like that day, he did not know how to start this conversation. 

He did not know how to act or what to say. 

Did he tell her he knew about their babe? 

However, if he told her he knew, would she think he just wanted to be with her because of the child? That he only wanted to be with her because that was what his honor demanded of him.  _ But learning about our child made me realize how much I love her and how much of an idiot I have been over the last few weeks.  _

As much as he wanted to talk only about them and babe, he knew, more importantly, he needed to tell her she was right about Sansa. That he had been wrong to trust the oldest daughter of the man who had raised him as his own. That the girl he vowed to protect with his life when she arrived at Castle Black beaten, broken had betrayed him. That because of his fucking  _ honor  _ , he thought his family had a right to know the truth of his parentage. That because of his  _ honor _ , he might have risked her life and the life of their precious unborn babe.

“Jon Snow, you asked to speak with me without the presence of my council,” Dany stated as she took a seat on one of the couches and motioned for him to take a seat next to her. Once he was seated, she continued, “Considering you have not wanted to be alone with me and have barely spoken more than a handful of words to me over the last fortnight, I have a feeling you would like to tell me how it is my Hand knows the truth of your birth.”

Her tone was flat and expression was unreadable. 

_ FUCK. _

“I’m sorry Dany. I am so fucking sorry,” the words tumbled out of his mouth. “I’ve been a bloody fool. I never should have pushed you away. It is all my fault. I should have listened to you.”

“Jon,” Dany stated, her voice seemed to soften at his clear distress. She brought her hand to his cheek, in a clear attempt to comfort him.

“No, Dany, I need you to listen to me.” 

Her hand fell away as Jon stood and began pacing the room.

“Alright, I am listening.”

He blew out a breath and knelt before her and took her petite hand in his calloused one. His grey eyes piercing her violet eyes. “You were right. I should have listened to you… It was wrong to tell Sansa the truth about who sired me… I had Sansa and Arya swear a sacred oath, before the old gods under the Heart Tree, that they would keep the information I shared a secret.”

“And how did that go,” The Queen spat as she tried to pull her hand from Jon’s grasp. 

Jon tightened his grip. He was not going to allow her to leave.

“That part went surprisingly well. They both told me they would always see me as their brother. But…”

“But...”

“But, as soon as I told them I would not press my claim,” Jon squeezed her fingers. “That I would not take the Iron Throne from you. That you were the Queen I chose… The Queen Westeros needed, Sansa slapped me and stormed out of the Godswood. I would have gone after her immediately, but Arya stopped me, to assure me that I would always be her brother and that she should be the one to go after our sister… I thought Sansa just needed time to process the information… That she was upset I didn’t tell her the truth as soon as Bran and Sam informed me… I thought she would listen to Arya. I thought we’d have a family dinner tonight and she would tell me she was sorry. However, Arya must not have gotten to her in time. She broke her solemn vow within minutes…She went straight to Tyrion.”

“What exactly did she tell Tyrion?” Daenerys demanded curtly. Jon saw her nostrils flare and he knew her inner dragon was close to spewing flames.

“Bran said she told him my secret,” Jon paused for a second, remember his brother’s words. “He said that by telling Tyrion, she has  _ chosen her path  _ and that the  _ old gods were not pleased  _ with her decision.” He decided to leave out the fact that he had prayed the Old Gods would keep her safe.

“Did he say what your sister wanted?”

“No,” Jon admitted honestly. 

Although, he believed he had a good idea as to why. 

Jon was not as stupid as Sansa believe him to be. He knew that ever since she was a young child, she dreamed of being the Queen. He knew she craved power. That in her lust for getting the power she felt she was entitled to, she had been willing to marry the false prince Joffrey, even after he had been the reason her direwolf, Lady, had to be executed by their Father’s hand. 

He was also aware she was no longer the naive little girl who had left Winterfell nearly seven years before; that she had learned from both Cersei and Lord Baelish how to play the game of thrones. Because of this, she was probably plotting a multitude of ways to get rid of his Queen. She had purposely allowed Rickon to be slaughtered by Ramsay Bolton. Although he had no proof, he could not help but wonder if this was a way to get rid of him as a threat - that she allowed him to die so she would be next in line to inherit the Northern seat of power. He also believed she purposefully withheld the Knight of the Vale were coming to  _ her  _ aid so she could look like the hero. If he had known, he could have come up with a true battle strategy and thousands of Northmen and Free Folk would not have senselessly lost their lives. 

After getting rid of Queen Daenerys, Jon was almost certain Sansa would find a way to get rid of him and place herself on the Iron Throne. He recalled seeing the fleeting look of hatred flash in her eyes when little Lady Lyanna Mormont held up Robb’s will, naming him his heir, and therefore she named him the rightful King in the North. He saw it again as he stood from where he had been seated beside her, as all the other Lords and Ladies of the North raised their swords and followed in the little she bear’s footsteps in proclaiming him as their King. At the time, he thought it was just that she was shocked. Now he knew better. He was no longer a knower of nothing. He now knew some things, but apparently, he did not know his own sister as well as he thought he did. 

“But I do know this,” He continued. “I was wrong for me to trust her. I was wrong to believe her when she vowed she would keep my secret. I never would have told her the truth of my birth if I thought she would use it against you.”

Jon could still see the hurt and anger in her eyes, but it had softened substantially. 

“We need to talk to Tyrion. We have to swear him to secrecy,” she replied as she stood.

Jon tightened the grip he had on her hand, stopping her from standing. He sat down next to her and pulled her into his arms. He had heard a slight quiver in her voice. He could tell she was afraid even though she had tried to hide it. 

“I told you this would happen,” She whispered into his neck. “I told you Sansa was not to be trusted. If you had not pushed me away, you would have known she tried to get me to give the North their independence.”

“What?” Jon breathed out in disbelief. He was furious.  _ Sansa fucking went behind my back! Gods she wants power so badly she doesn’t care how she gets it or what the cost would be. How would the North sustain themselves as an independent kingdom in the middle of winter with little food and no resources for trade. I was such a fool to trust her! _

“Yes, the night we returned from the waterfall, I decided to reach out to her as you suggested. I believed you were right… That if we shared stories of our similar pasts and how we overcame them, we could bond… That she would no longer see me as an enemy.”

_Fuck, another thing I was wrong about and I was too lost at the time to be there for her._ “I’m so sorry, Dany,” the words spilled from his mouth. “I have been so wrong about her. I truly wanted to believe that she had changed. That she wanted what was best for the people of the North.”

Jon felt his Queen nod into his neck, but only the sounds of her quiet sobs filled the chambers. 

“Dany,” Jon stated after he felt her breathing calm. When her puffy red rimmed eyes met his, his heart clinched.  _ I have caused her so much pain.  _ He swallowed hard and continued. “Bran said that Tyrion is loyal to you. That as soon as he learned the information he came straight to your rooms. I agree that we need to speak with him… But there is something else...”

The Warden of the North’s stomach was in knots. He did not know how to tell Dany he knew about the babe or if he should allow her to tell him on her own. He just knew he did not want to lose her. He did not want to cause her anymore pain.

“I wanted to make sure you know I meant what I said earlier,” he decided.

“And what would that be?”

“That I was sorry. I never should have pushed you away, Dany. I was an idiot.”

The Queen stared at him for several moments - a myriad of indecipherable emotions playing across her soft Valyrian features.  _ Gods Jon you are a fucking idiot. It’s too late. She is never going to forgive you. Your child is going to grow up as a bastard all because of you and your stupidity. Maybe you truly do know nothing. _

“Why did you do it? Does our shared blood really disgust you that much?” Dany almost whispered.

It was then Jon noticed she brought one of her hands to rest on her stomach, as if she wanted to protect the babe in her womb from his rejection.

Jon knew Daenerys well enough to know she would see through his bullshit if he lied so he decided to be honest. “At first I thought I should be disgusted,” Jon admitted softly as he looked into her watery lilac eyes. He no longer found himself able to look into her eyes, so took the hand that wasn’t resting on her womb, in his own. Caressing the side of her thumb with his, in what he hoped was a comforting gesture and continued. “I pushed myself away because I thought it was wrong for me to love you the way that I do…. I thought that maybe if I put some distance between us, the feelings I have for you would simmer and fade. I thought by keeping myself busy, I could forget about you... Not only was I an ass, thinking solely about myself, I was also wrong, Dany. Our relation to each other isn’t even that close… You’re my aunt - there have been several marriages throughout Westeros involving uncle and nieces, aunts and nephews… The Starks have even wed Uncles to Nieces in the past… Even my Stark grandparents were cousins.” 

Jon sighed, he knew he was rambling. “I guess what I’m saying is, I was just freaked out. Overwhelmed. I was scared. All my life, all I wanted was for my father to petition the King and legally claim me as his son… To give me his name. To officially make me a Stark. Now I know why he didn’t… I felt as though I was no longer the same person. Everything I knew about myself was a lie… Jon Snow was a lie created by the man I called father … I felt as though my entire life was a lie to keep me hidden from the world. I felt guilty because my parents' love was the cause of the demise of House Targaryen… It was the reason you had to live your life on the run in exile. I was the reason you had to endure all that you did.”

“Jon, you are still you. You are still the boy who was raised, loved and protected by Eddard Stark and you are not guilty for the sins of your parents, just as I am not guilty for the sins of my father.”

“Aye, I see that now. And I now see that I have been acting like a godsdamn idiot,” Jon agreed as he blew out a shaky breath. “It was wrong of me to push you away. I should have talked to you instead of keeping my feelings to myself. I have been so fucking miserable without you, Dany. I’ve been a fucking ass to you since I learned the truth and all I can do is beg you for forgiveness… Beg for you, the woman I love, to give me another chance.”

“Jon, do you mean it,” Dany whispered, quickly wiping a tear from her cheek with the hand not in Jon’s grasp. 

“Mean what? That I am sorry?”

“That you love me?” her voice was so small and pleading.

“Aye, I do,” Jon confirmed, giving her hand a gentle squeeze as he cupped her face with his other hand, looked her in the eyes and declared, “I love you, Daenerys Stormborn of House Targaryen. When I fell in love with you, I never in a thousand years thought that we would share blood - That you would be my aunt. However, I was a fool to ignore you and I don’t deserve your forgiveness. All I can do is pray that you will forgive me. That you will give your nephew another chance to show you how much you mean to me.”

Jon could tell she was being guarded. 

This was so different that the woman he had come to know and love. During their nights alone, wrapped up in each other’s arms as they sailed from Dragonstone to White Harbor she had confessed she never really felt loved. That she had always thought she would marry her brother, Viserys to keep the Targaryen bloodline pure. However, he betrayed her by selling her to Khal Drogo for an army. She believed she had learned to love the Dothraki warlord, especially how he treated her once he learned she was carrying his son… But that looking back, she realized she loved the power and protection he gave her after spending her entire life being used as a pawn in her brother’s game. 

She told him of her lover, Daario, in Meereen. How he proclaimed that he loved her and would die for her. How she thought maybe she had loved him too. However, in the end, when she left him behind to keep peace in Meereen, she felt nothing. She realized she had only been lonely and he had helped her not feel alone for a time -  _ ‘If I look back I am lost,’  _ she had divulged. She thought that maybe her heart was so damaged after the loss of Rheago, that she would never be able to truly love again.

“You say that you love me. That I mean so much to you. Why do you love me? Why should I allow you back into ou-my life?”

Jon caught her slip, almost acknowledging their child to him, but decided not to press it.

Daenerys had been more than a lover to him. He loved her. She had this aura about her that pulled him to her. He had seen the way she truly cared about the people who followed her. He saw that she was willing to risk her own life for the safety and lives of her people. She also saw him for the person he truly was, when he saw himself as nothing but the one stain in the honorable Lord Stark’s past… A bastard playing King because the people of the North chose him to be their leader after learning Robb had disinherited Sansa from the line of succession and named him as his heir. She made him feel loved for the first time in his life. 

“After being betrayed by my brothers at the Wall, I felt like a shell of the man I once was - I felt as though I had lost part of myself. I thought my only purpose for returning was to defeat the Night King and the army of the dead, even if that meant I had to sacrifice myself in the process. Then I went to Dragonstone, praying that you would help me, a bastard king with nothing to offer you in return for your aid, save my people from certain death… and you did,” Jon smiled softly at her and brought his hands to her cheeks. “But you also did more. From the first moment I saw you, sitting atop the Dragonglass Throne in the throne room at Dragonstone, I felt pulled to you... I felt a connection I could not explain. I tried to fight it - I kept telling myself it was lust for the most beautiful and powerful woman I’d ever laid my eyes on. Ser Davos teased me… That he could see me  _ staring longingly at your good heart.  _ However, after you vowed to stop your war against Cersei - when you vowed  _ together  _ after seeing the Army of the Dead _ ,  _ I knew then, what I felt was real. I knew what I felt was not lust for a beautiful, powerful queen. I knew that I loved you for the way you would sacrifice yourself and all that you have worked so hard for, for the good of the people you wanted to protect as their Queen.”

Jon then used the pad of his thumbs to wipe away the tears that were escaping her eyes and kissed her forehead before taking her hands in his once more.

“For so I have been alone in this world. I thought I was the last Targaryen,” Daenerys said with a quivering voice. “Then you told me you really were not a bastard. That you were not even sired by Eddard Stark, but that you were my oldest brother’s trueborn son. All I heard you say was that you had a stronger claim and I was angry at first.”

“Dany…”

“Let me finish, Jon.” 

When he nodded, she continued.

“I was angry because for so many years I have fought to help others and gain an army that was loyal to me. I wanted my army, my people, to follow me not because of my name, but because they believed in me, so that when I returned to Westeros to reclaim what was taken from my family, the people would see me as a liberator, not a conqueror. Then, you told me I am not the rightful Targaryen heir. I was angry and afraid that everything I worked so hard for would all be taken from me and the world I want to create would be erased.”

Jon wanted to reassure her that she had nothing to fear, but one stern look caused him to swallow the words before they left his mouth.

“Then I realized, I was no longer alone.”

Her hand once again drifted to her still flat belly.  _ Does she mean alone as in she has family or that she is carrying a babe she thought she would never have?  _ Jon wanted to blurt out that he knew about the life their love had created, however, it did not feel right. He wanted her to realize that even if she were not carrying their babe, she would never be alone again.

It was then he realized a solution. One that could wash away her fears. On the boat, she had vowed they would defeat the Night King together. Maybe she would be willing to extend together to forever. Marriage. If they marry, they could take the Iron Throne together.

Jon then knelt before the Valyrian beauty. “Marry me, Dany,” he murmured. “I love you and want to protect you. We can unite our claims. If we stand  _ together,  _ no one will be able to use my birth to hurt you.”

There were tears in Daenerys’ eyes and Jon felt a few tears escape his as well. He knew he wanted to spend the rest of his days with her; had never been so sure of anything in his life. She stroked his cheek with the pad of her thumb and smiled sweetly. However, before she could answer, there was a pounding on the door. 

“JON!” He heard Arya’s exacerbated voice through the loud banging, causing him to remove his gaze from his queen. “We know you’re in there. You need to open up the GODSDAMN DOOR! NOW!”

* * *

**Important information about this story:**

**I have decided to make some changes to show canon because it sucked. So I will be sprinkling this throughout the story. But the gist:**

  1. **In the books, it is said Robb wrote a will. In this will, he disinherited Sansa (because she was married to the enemy) and named Jon as his lawful heir. Lord Glover and Lady Mormont were supposedly in possession of this will. It makes sense that Lady Mormont left the will at/sent the will to Bear Island for safe keeping. Therefore, I think it could be believable that Little Lyanna has possession of it.**
  2. **The Wall excursion did not happen. Viserion did not die - When Jon and company got to the Wall, Tormund notified them they found a wight wandering close to the wall and they had them in the ice cells at Eastwatch. Wight is Beric - Tormund allowed them to pass through the Wall because the Lord of Light brought Jon back, so he didn't want to fuck with them - this was Beric's role (why he kept being brought back to life).**
  3. **Jon and Dany flew to see the full army. Dany then vowed to postpone her war with Cersei - This proved to Jon she would be a good queen because she put others before herself.**
  4. **No real changes made to the Dragonpit show down of 7.7 except that Dany showed up with all three dragons.**
  5. **The Wall came down with the horn of winter/Joramun.**
  6. **Sam did not tell Jon about his parentage in anger. I say this because Sam hated his father, he would not give a flying fuck that he had died - Sam and Bran told Jon the truth together, the night after his and Dany’s flight to the waterfall on Dragon back.**
    1. **There is no way Sam would not have overheard people talking about how Daenerys roasted the Lord of Hornhill while he traveled from Oldtown to Winterfell - this is another thing D &D did that made no fucking sense. **
    2. **Dickon listened to his father, Tyrion and Dany and bent the knee. Therefore, Dickon is alive; Dany did not roast Sam's younger brother.**
  7. **Dickon is at Winterfell, because he and the other Lannister troops that surrendered in the Battle of the Blackwater participated in the Long Night - I mean - those were an extra few hundred men - where the fuck were they in battle? I doubt they would have been allowed to return to there homes when their loyalty was unknown. If she did not take them with her to Dragonstone, how could she guarantee they would not just return to Cersei in KL.**
  8. **Little Ned Umber didn’t go back to Last Hearth - Jon had him go back to his Keep and evacuate at the same time he left with Davos to go to Dragonstone to ask Dany for her help. Ned and his peoples were all at Winterfell before the Night King breached the Wall.**
  9. **Arya, as much as I love her, did not kill The Night King, Jon did, with help from Arya. Arya killing the Night King was dumb. Like, what the fuck was Jon resurrected for if it was not his destiny to kill that bastard. Just like, WTF was the point of R+L=J unless he and Dany rule together in the end.**
  10. **Little Lyanna also survived the Long Night - It's gonna take more than an undead giant to kill that little firecracker.**
  11. **Brienne and Jaime don’t get together, because fuck that. Brienne is too good for Jaime - and deserved a man who would give her the world. (Briemond all the fucking way!)**
  12. **Viserion was injured during the long night, but not terribly (maybe an injured wing or something) because the way I look at it is, dragon scales are as strong as Valyrian Steel. Valyrian Steel does not shatter when touched by the White Walker weapons, so why would it go through dragon scales.**
  13. **After the Long Night, Jon/Dany decided to wait a few moon turns before heading south to fight Cersei/Euron so their armies and Viserion had time to heal.**
  14. **Bran informed them, before Jaime arrived, Cersei had hired the Golden Company, so they know they need their armies to be 100%**
  15. **Jaime would not just be allowed to leave - he'd be watched at all times to make sure he would not run back to Cersei and share information about the combined forces of the North and Targaryens. It was dumb they just let him go around unwatched, just because Brienne is vouching for him. I’ll give him his redemption though - he died protecting Bran from the Night King.**



**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, let me know your thoughts in the comments!
> 
> I have started the next chapter and will try and post sometime next week.


	4. Information

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arya, Gendry and Bran barge into Dany's chambers and share more information.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A big thank you to my beta, Chin, for being the best and fixing my typos and run-on sentences. 
> 
> Please enjoy.

* * *

* * *

_ “JON!” He heard Arya’s exacerbated voice through the loud banging. “We know you’re in there. You need to open up the GODSDAMN DOOR! NOW!” _

The Warden of the North glanced at Daenerys, praying she would answer him. “Dany?” Even to his own ears, his voice sounded small and pleading. He searched her eyes for the answer. He saw love, but he also saw something else he could not quite place. 

_ Fear? Is she afraid I will hurt her again? Is she afraid I was sincere in my apology - That I don’t mean it? What if she wants to say no? Is she afraid of breaking my heart? Is she searching for the words to soften the blow? Gods Jon, you were such a fucking fool! _

“We will finish this discussion later,” She murmured softly, placing a tender kiss on his forehead before wiping the tears from her cheeks with the pads of her fingers. “Please let your youngest sister in before she breaks down the door.”

He wanted to tell her they should just pretend they were not there. He needed her to understand he knew he was a fool and that he meant every word he had said. However, he knew Dany was right. Bran would know they were in there, so there was no use in pretending they were not in the room. They had to open the door and let Arya in or she would pound on the door until it came off the hinges. If she was unsuccessful, it would only be a matter of minutes until Dany’s Unsullied guards came to break it down, fearing something had happened to their beloved Queen.

“Aye,” Jon agreed as he blew out a frustrated breath. “You’re right,” he added as he got up from where he was kneeling on the floor. As much as he hated it, he was just going to have to wait for her answer. 

He silently cursed his favorite sister for interrupting before Dany could answer his proposal as he walked to the door. 

“This had better be good,” Jon muttered to himself as he pulled the door open. 

Once the door was open, he noticed his sister was not alone. He was not surprised to see her with Bran, but seeing the newly legitimized Lord Gendry Baratheon by her side was unexpected. Jon had known his sister and the former blacksmith had been close when they were younger, but since he had arrived back at Winterfell, he had never seen the two of them together outside of the dining hall. 

“Jon,” Arya rushed as she pushed Bran’s wooden wheeledchair into the room, not even waiting to be granted entrance in the Queen’s chambers. Gendry followed apprehensively behind her. “We have to talk, now.”

“I can tell,” Jon deadpanned as he closed and secured the latch on the heavy wooden door before making his way back towards the couch where Daenerys was sitting.

“Don’t give me attitude, Jon!” Arya exclaimed as she secured Bran’s chair next to the hearth. “This is important!”

“Arya,” Jon began, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Can we please talk over dinner?”

His sister glared at him. 

“Jon, I don’t think your sister would barge in here unless it was important,” Dany stated soothingly, taking his hand and encouraging him to sit down beside her. 

“Aye,” he conceded as he sat down next to his queen.

Once Jon was seated, she gestured for Ayra to take a seat on the other side of her. Gendry stood behind his sister, clearly uncomfortable and Bran continued to stare eerily into the flames of the hearth.

“So what is so fuckin’ important that you barged in, unannounced,” Jon asked, unable to mask the irritatibilty in his tone.

His little sister’s head whipped around to where Gendry was standing. “Go on. Tell them what you heard,” Arya snapped.

Jon then noticed that Gendry had beads of sweat forming on his brow. He was wrenching his hands together in a nervous gesture. “I… I… I… um…”

“Gendry, would you like a glass of wine?” Daenerys offered, clearly in an attempt to calm her-their cousin’s nerves.

“Uhh, no your Grace.” 

“Come on you stubborn bull, they need to know what you heard,” Ayra bit, glaring at the blacksmith. “They need to know.”

“I know that!” Gendry snapped, returning his sister’s stare. “That’s why I told you! I thought you could tell ‘em so I didn’t have to!”

“You have to tell them! You heard it, not me.”

“Arry… Please.”

“ENOUGH,” Jon roared, stopping the bickering between the two.  _ Gods the two of them act as if they are an old married couple.  _ Once they stopped, he took a deep breath and to calm himself and continued, “Gendry, you have nothing to fear by telling the Queen and or myself something you have overheard, no matter how trivial it...”

“Oh, it’s not trivial,” Arya interjected matter-of-factly. “If there is any truth to it, people will die.”

Jon pinched the bridge of his nose. He was losing his patience. He just wanted to know what the fuck Arya and the others needed, so they would leave and Dany would answer the most important question he had ever asked in his life.

Daenerys’ voice was calm and compassionate. “You have no need to be anxious about talking to us. Please, just tell us what you heard.”

“I overheard some young man, one I hadn’t seen before, asking the kennel master, if he was gonna stay loyal to the North when Lord Blubber…”

“Glover?” Jon questioned. 

“Aye, Glover,” Gendry nodded. “He asked if he was going to remain loyal when Lord Glover put the rightful Stark on the Northern Throne. The Stark they should have named Queen to begin with...”

“Are you fucking serious!” Jon exclaimed, jumping up from where he was sitting on the couch. 

He should have known Robett Glover was planning something.  _ Was this the reason he did not show up for the Great War?  _

However, he could not believe the people of the North were already plotting against him and Queen Daenerys. That they were already planning to name Sansa as their Queen. He could not believe the selfish pettiness of the Northern Lords after everything Daenerys had done for them. It was because of Daenerys postponing her war for the Iron Throne against Cersei Lannister, that they were able to live through the Long Night. It was because she had brought her army over one hundred thousand strong, that they had had enough warriors to fight the Great War. It was because of her and her men that he had been able to kill the Night King and bring the dawn. 

“Why the fuck would they do that?” Jon continued as he paced the room.

“When you travelled South, Sansa promised certain Lords they would never have to bend the knee to a Targaryen,” Bran answered, looking up from the flames. “That she would do whatever she needed to do, to make sure the North remained its own independent Kingdom.”

“Why would she have done that?” Jon stated in disbelief, stopping his pacing to meet his brother’s eyes. 

“I cannot read minds Jon,” Bran replied with an air of indifference. “I can only see events and conversations between others.”

“I know that,” Jon sighed in frustration, sitting back down on the couch between Arya and Dany. His head fell into his hands and he rubbed his temples with his thumbs in an attempt to diffuse his forming headache. 

Daenerys placed her arm around his shoulder in a comforting embrace. He leaned into her side, still trying to process what his brother had just told him.

After a few moments, Jon looked up at his brother, hoping Bran would be able to supply more information. To see if he could pinpoint when her treasons began. “I just don’t understand,” he started. “Before I left with Ser Davos, to meet with Dany on Dragonstone, Sansa told me to be firm. She told me to show Daenerys that I was a king and my knee would not bend easily. She told me it would not be wise to bend the knee as soon as I got there… That I should get to know her and talk to her people. That I should only swear fealty to Daenerys after I determined the only way to get her help in the Great War was to  _ bend the knee _ . And that under no circumstances, should I enter into a marriage alliance without the consent of the North… Because after Robb’s disastrous marriage...” 

It was painful to talk about Robb. He still had a hard time believing that his brother was so blinded by love he followed his heart instead of his brain. This had been his brother’s mistake. His decision to marry for love instead of an agreed upon alliance had caused the betrayal at the Twins. His mistake led to the deaths of over three thousand of his soldiers. Jon refused to relive his brother’s mistakes.

Jon felt Dany squeeze his hand. He squeezed back and continued. “A marriage alliance would have made things simpler from the beginning. I sent multiple ravens while I was gone, requesting Sansa to talk to the Lords about such an alliance and informing her of the progress of our negotiations. She would always tell me the Lords adamantly stated they would never accept a Southern ruler - that they wanted to remain free from the South. In another of her replies, she told me to quit being so stubborn and bend the bloody knee already... She was the one who told me that swearing fealty to Daenerys was what was best for the survival of the North and that she would help me make the Northern Lords see that they were being too bloody stubborn when I returned.” 

“You sent ravens?” Arya asked, shock clearly etched onto her wolfish Stark features.. 

Jon was flabbergasted. “Of course I sent ravens… I sent loads of ravens. Sometimes two or three ravens a week.” 

“Sansa told me the only time she heard from you, the entire time you were gone, was to announce you had given the North to  _ Targaryen Conqueror _ … That you didn’t even write after she sent word that Bran and I had returned to Winterfell.” 

“What? That makes no sense,” Jon said with a furrowed brow.  _ Has Sansa even been playing games between me and Arya? _ “When I left, Sansa made me promise to send ravens often. She said that in order to trust each other, we could not have any secrets… That by staying in constant communication, it would show the Lords and Ladies I was not hiding anything… That I was keeping them properly informed of my progress with Queen Daenerys... Just before I left she told me the-”

“The lone wolf dies, but the pack survives,” Bran’s eerily even tone interrupted.

“Aye,” Jon replied softly, nodding his head, still awed by his brother’s ability to finish his sentences. “That is exactly what she said.”

“Sansa lied,” Bran informed them.

“What?” Jon and Arya both said at the same time.

“Sansa has been plotting against you,” his brother replied almost remorsefully.

Jon was speechless. He felt his heart drop into his stomach. He could not believe one of his sisters, the young woman who showed up at Castle Black, dirty and broken… a shell of the girl he had grown up with… The girl he had vowed to protect with his own life, had been plotting against him. Bran had just confirmed his suspicions about Sansa were factual. 

“I am sorry I did not see this earlier. I wasn’t watching what Sansa was doing… I was preoccupied with searching the past for anything that could have been helpful in the Great War. It was the only thing I thought that mattered at the time.”

The room was silent. Jon could hear the flickering of the flames in the hearth. He could hear the people in the courtyard below as they continued to clean up after the Battle for the Dawn.

Jon’s mind was racing. He wanted to console his brother. To tell him it he did not blame him because he himself had been preoccupied with finding a way to destroy the Army of the Dead. That he had trusted Sansa as well and never would have thought she had been conspiring behind his - their - backs. He also needed to know what Sansa was plotting. Why was she trying to destroy him? What did she want? Who all was siding with her and plotting against him?

However, he could not find his voice. Beside him, Dany was whispering something into his ear. He was sure she was trying to soothe his racing thoughts, but he could not make out her words. 

He squeezed her hand.

“Maybe I should leave,” Gendry stated, breaking the tension in the room. 

“You will stay, Lord Baratheon, so you might as well take a seat,” Daenerys proclaimed, gesturing towards an empty armchair beside the couch. “This is a sensitive matter and knowledge of this conversation must remain silent. I am sure it is known that you entered this room with Arya and Lord Brandon. If you leave without them, it might cause people to inquire as to why you were dismissed before the others.”

Gendry nodded in acknowledgement as he sat down.

“Bran, how long has the Lady of Winterfell been undermining Lord Jon?” Daenerys inquired.

“For a while,” he replied dismissively as he looked to the flames in the hearth.

“How long, Bran? I need to know,” Jon pleaded, finally finding his voice.

Bran sighed. Jon felt as though he did not want to answer.

“Please, Bran. Tell me?” his voice was barely a whisper.

Dany grasped his hand and he found himself thankful for the warm weight of her hand in his as he waited for his brother to answer.

“From what I can tell, since before you were named King in the North… The first instance I found was before you left Castle Black.”

“What?” Jon breathed out in disbelief.  _ Has she really been plotting my demise since we were reunited.  _ “How?”

Bran then explained how Sansa had secretly met with Lord Baelish in Molestown while they were still at Castle Black. It was during this meeting, the two of them determined it would be best for the Knights of the Vale to show up at the last minute. Littlefinger convinced her when he announced they came at Lady Sansa’s request; to aid her in the Stark Army in their time of need. Baelish had told her the Lords of the North would see _ her  _ as the savior of the battle and in return, they would name her as Queen in the North. In return, for his assistance, Sansa agreed to marry their cousin, Robin, once he came of age, to unite the Vale and the North and they would control both Kingdoms. 

“Did Sansa really think they would follow her if Lady Mormont didn’t share Robb’s will?” Arya asked.

“She did,” Bran confirmed. “Especially after Littlefinger told her  _ ‘The North would ever follow an oath breaking bastard. Your first duty as Queen of the North and the Vale can be to call for your bastard brother’s execution... It is treason for a man to break his vows to the Night’s Watch.’  _

He also told them how after Lady Mormont brought forth Robb's will, naming Jon as his heir Sansa was devastated. She again began plotting with Littlefinger - He had been the one to suggest that Sansa act as though she were a doting sister and that you should stay in constant contact to show trust. Also, that if Jon and Daenerys were to marry, their power would be unstoppable and she would never have total control of the North as she desired.

“If Sansa was conspiring treason against Jon, why did she have Lord Baelish executed for treason?” the Queen inquired.

“Because he informed her he wished to send for Lord Robin to come to WInterfell. The Lord of the Vale was about to turn sixteen namedays, so Littlefinger believed it was time to fulfill their marriage alliance. Sansa had no intentions of marrying our cousin, so she determined Petyr Baelish was no longer a valuable asset. It was then she decided to bring his treasons to light and held his trial.”

Bran then told them that after Lord Baelish’s execution, Sansa began to conspire with Lord Glover because he had the largest intact army in the North. It had been her idea for him to return to Deepwood Motte and sit out the Battle for the Dawn. The plan had been for Lord Glover to return to Winterfell after he and Queen Daenerys went south with what was left of their armies. If they were successful in taking the Iron Throne, Daenerys would no longer care about the North. If Jon survived the Battle for King’s Landing, the remaining northern soldiers would kill him in his sleep on the way back North. They would claim he died in battle for the Queen he chose and she did not care about his death. She would use Jon’s death as a way to persuade Daenerys was not different and if they remained part of the Seven Kingdoms, it would lead to all of their deaths. In return, Sansa would marry Robett Glover’s son, Gawen. Their first born son would bear the Stark name and be future King in the North. Their second son would inherit Deepwood Motte, and their third would be the Lord of the Dreadfort.

It was too much. Jon’s head was spinning. Gods he felt like such an idiot to believe Sansa had changed from the little girl who dreamed of one day becoming the Queen of Westeros.  _ I guess inside she is still the girl that would do anything for the power that came with being Queen. _

“Are you FUCKING serious!” Arya snapped, jumping up from the couch. “I cannot believe she used us all as part of her little game! I am going to fucking kill her!” she added as she began to walk towards the door.

“Arry don’t,” Gendry said as he chased after her and pulled her into his arms. “She is your sister and gods we all know you are capable of killing her, and she has certainly committed treason, you are not a kinslayer.”

“Don’t worry about Sansa. The old gods have already judged her and she will pay for her crimes.”

“What do you mean by that, Bran?” Jon inquired.

“You will know soon enough,” the young man relied cryptically. 

Suddenly, Bran’s eyes rolled back and only the whites of his eyes were visible. 

The room went silent once more. They had all seen the young greenseer when he had had visions over the last few weeks, so they knew they just had to wait. Jon glanced at the other three and they all appeared to be just as anxious as he was. 

His brother had only been gone for about a minute when his eyes returned to normal as he gasped.

“Bran? What is it? What did you see?” Jon asked.

“We have another problem.” Jon could swear he could see panic in his normally calm brother’s eyes.

“What is it?” Dany inquired, her voice small.

“Varys.. He knows,” his brother stated absolutely. 

Jon’s heart sank. He quickly met his love’s amethyst eyes. They were glassy and tears were threatening to spill. “Fuck, Dany. I’m sorry. This is all my fault. I’m so sorry,” Jon murmured into her ear after pulling her into a comforting embrace. 

“What does Varys know?” Gendry asked, a perplexed look on his face. 

Arya shot him a scathing look. “Not. Now,” she answered through gritted teeth.

“What? I thought that it was his job to know everything,” Jon thought he heard the blacksmith whisper to his sister.

“One of Varys’ little birds overheard our conversations in the Godswood earlier and informed him as soon as he returned to his chambers. He knows everything that was said between us and he has already sent ravens to the Southern Houses, declaring you are the rightful heir.”

_ Varys knows about my parents. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. This is not good. _

“Even in Flea Bottom we heard about Robb Stark’s will. That he declared his bastard brother at the Wall his lawful heir to the Northern Crown. That because of that will, you were not executed as a deserter of the Night’s Watch,” Gendry replied dumbly.

“Jon, can I tell him?” Arya asked. Jon had never heard such sincerity in his sister’s voice. 

_ There is no more hiding it.  _ Jon gave his sister a slight silent nod, affirming his permission to share.

“Gendry, Jon is not our Father’s bastard son… He is our cousin. He is the son of our Aunt Lyanna Stark and husband, the Crown Prince, Rhaegar Targaryen,” Bran rushed before Arya could speak - his tone again showing more emotion than he had had since Jon’s return to Winterfell. “You can tell him all the details later because I have more important things to say.”

After Arya nodded, Bran continued, “After sending his ravens, Varys met with Sansa. Once the war for King’s Landing is won, they are planning to dispose of Daenerys and place you on the Iron Throne, Jon.”

“What would Sansa get out of their arrangement?” Dany questioned. “If Jon is King of the Seven Kingdoms, Sansa would no longer be Queen in the North, as she has planned with Lord Glover.”

“Sansa no longer plans to honor the betrothal she made with Lord Glover… Varys has promised her he will help her to become Queen. They will convince you the only way to maintain Northern Loyalty is to have a Northern Queen… She aspires to marry you and become the Queen of all seven Kingdoms.”

Jon was disguised. Even though Sansa was a traitorous cunt, he would always think of her as his little sister. He had a hard enough time coming to terms with and accepting his and Daenerys’ relationship after he learned they shared blood.

“Are you serious! I’m gonna kill her and then I will kill him!” Arya proclaimed and began to make her way towards the door.

“Arya, you cannot do that!” Bran called after her. “You may be one of the most skilled killers in Westeros, however you are not a kinslayer.”

Arya stopped and sighed. 

Jon knew what she was feeling. He wanted Sansa dead as well. He wanted nothing more than to grab her by the neck, throw her against the stone wall and ask her why she would betray her own family as he watched the life slowly slip from her cold blue eyes... But knew he would not be able to live with himself if he took the woman he considered to be his little sister’s life. However, they could not allow her to walk the keep as though nothing had happened. 

“Arya, please escort Lady Sansa to her chambers,” Jon spoke to his sister. He did not know how he was going to punish her, but he would think of something.  _ She is a believer of the new gods… maybe I can send her to the Silent Sisters or perhaps she can become a septa. _

She nodded. “Would you like me to have the household guard stand outside her chambers to make sure she doesn’t leave?”

“I don’t know if we can trust them,” Jon spat. He was beside himself. He felt as he did the days following his betrayal and resurrection. When he was still at the Wall, watching over his shoulder at every step, waiting for someone to plunge a dagger into his back.

“Would you like for me to send some of my Dothraki to guard her chambers?”

Just when he thought he could not love her more, his Queen did something like this. She never ceased to amaze him. Before he could stop himself… Before he could think about his sister and Lord Baratheon still in the room, he pressed his lips firmly against hers. 

It was just a quick kiss. But it was a kiss he hoped showed his love and gratitude. A kiss that she would interpret as a promise that he wanted her in every way and would stand beside her now and always. 

“Aye, I’d really appreciate that,” He murmured sincerely against her lips as he rested his forehead against hers, the tips of their noses still touching.

“Well, we had better go and tell them of their assignment, Jon Snow,” Dany stated. Jon could feel her smiling against his lips.

The moment was interrupted when Jon heard the sound of a slap against a chest and Arya’s hushed voice reminding Gendry he promised not say a fucking word.

It was then decided that while Gendry and Arya escorted Sansa to her chambers, he and Dany would inform the chosen Dothraki of their task. Afterwards, he and the Queen would take Greyworn to quietly arrest Lord Varys and place him in Winterfell’s dungeons. After their tasks were completed, they would all meet back in Daenerys’ chambers to discuss the situation further with their loyal advisors.

After Arya and Gendry left the room, Jon offered to take his brother to his chambers until they were ready to reconvene. The young greenseer declined, stating he was fine where he was and the silence could help him concentrate on seeing. 

However, as he and Dany started to leave the room, his brother called to him. The sound of his name being called caused the couple to halt their progress. “Lord Varys is also aware of the information I shared with you after our sisters left the Godswood.”

“What?” The Warden of the North felt as though his heart was going to beat out of his chest. His boots felt as though they were now filled with lead.  _ Varys knows about our child and he still sent out ravens announcing I was the rightful heir. He told Sansa he would help her to become my Queen, even though he knows Dany is pregnant with my child?  _ “What has he done with that information?”

“He has asked one of his little birds to switch the Queen’s normal tea with moon tea.”

Jon watched and Daenerys quickly covered her stomach and looked at him. 

“You knew?” she whispered, he eyes wide with disbelief. “You came to my chambers, begging for forgiveness, knowing I was with your child?”

“Aye,” Jon admitted softly, knowing there was no denying he knew the truth.

“Did you mean it? That you were sorry and that you loved me? That you wanted to marry me? Or were you just saying those things so your child wouldn’t grow up as a bastard?”

He could see a plethora of emotions dancing across her soft Valyrian features - hurt, anger, fear, sadness. What was he supposed to say? Of course he did not want their child to be born a bastard. However, everything he said was true and he had been trying to find a reason to ask Dany for her forgiveness. To give their love another try.  _ Finding out about our babe just gave me the kick in the ass I needed to get the courage to do it. _

“The two of you really need to discuss this later,” Bran’s voice rang out before he could answer the Queen’s query. “Varys has just deployed more of his little bird to sow seeds of doubt throughout the North!”

“Come, Lord Snow,” Daenerys stated icily. “I believe we have work to do… And believe me, we will be discussing this later tonight.”

_ Seven fucking hells.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think in the comments. Comments let me know you care 😉.


	5. No More Secrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sansa and Varys are arrested. A meeting between trusted advisors is held and decisions are made.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it has been like four months since I last updated this. I learned I am not good at writing more than one story at a time. But I finished my little Modern AU - It All Started With An Egg, so now I can devote more time to this. I cannot promise when the next update will be, but hopefully less than four months from now. 
> 
> Also, sorry there is no moodboard for this chapter - I might add one later, I just didn't want to make y'all wait any longer.
> 
> PS - this is also unbeta'd so all errors and shit typo/run-on weird ass sentences that might not make sense are all my own.

* * *

  
While Jon and Daenerys made their way through the halls of Winterfell, the air between them was thick. She refused to grasp his arm and allow him to lead her to where her Unsullied and Dothraki were camped outside of the castle walls. She refused to look at him and remained silent.

Her words and icy demeanor as they left her chambers continued to repeat themselves in his head - _“Come, Lord Snow, I believe we have work to do… And believe me, we will be discussing this later tonight.”_

He knew she was pissed. _And rightfully so._

He wanted to break the uncomfortable silence that encompassed them. He wanted to continue his apology as they walked, but he was aware that speaking at this moment would do nothing to help his cause. He knew there was no hope of having this or any other discussion until she was ready. 

So, as they briskly walked to their destinations he ignored the glaring eyes of the lords, ladies, and Northern smallfolk and did what he did best, he brooded. His mind was spinning as he did his best to think of words that would make her believe his apology was sincere. Words that would make her see that he wanted to marry her because he loved her and believed in her desire to break the wheel and not only because she was carrying his - _their_ \- child. _The rightful heir to the Iron Throne._

When they reached the Khalasar, he hoped that some of Daenerys’ Queenly facade would fade and she would acknowledge his presence. He was wrong. As she gave several of her trusted Bloodriders commands in their guttural tongue, she refused to look at him; her only acknowledgement he was there during the conversation was a simple arm gesture. 

Although Jon had no clue what exactly she was saying to her men, he could easily figure it out by the glares the bronze skinned men gave him as they conversed. _She is telling them my redheaded sister wants their Khaleesi dead._ However, he knew he could trust her not to give them the command to kill Sansa, no matter how badly they both wanted her dead for her treasonous behaviors.

With a few more gruff words, the men walked away. The Queen stayed rooted where they stood.

“What did they say?” Jon asked, hoping to melt some of the ice between them.

“They will do as I commanded,” Daenerys replied curtly.

“Where are they going?” He tried again.

“They are going to gather a few belongings. I have told them _the Warden of the North_ will ensure they are given proper accommodations within the castle,” she answered tersely, ending the conversation.

_Seven fucking hells._

A few minutes later, the four Dothraki warriors returned and the group made their way out of the Dothraki camp and towards where her Unsullied were camped.

Jon watched in awe as she conversed in Valyrian with Grey Worm. A few minutes later a group of five Unsullied joined their group.

The entire trek back to Winterfell, Daenerys treated Jon to the same tense silence and avoided contact. He did not like it. Her aloof demeanor was more painful than when he was stabbed in the chest and left for dead by his brothers at the Night's Watch. He missed the way they were in the days just after they first arrived at the Stark’s Stronghold - how she would take his arm and slightly lean into him as they walked the grounds and greeted their armies. Now that he was once again this close to her, he craved to touch her. He hated the distance between them and he knew it was all his fault. He also determined that words were not going to be enough to earn her forgiveness and a second chance.

When they arrived back within the grey stone walls of the Keep, they were met by one of the chambermaids, who informed them Lady Arya requested they come to her rooms when they had time. _Arya is smart. If Sansa has evidence of treason in her rooms she will destroy it_ , Jon thought as he thanked her for the message and requested rooms be prepared for the Queen’s Dothraki guards. 

The Chambermaid acknowledged the request with a clumsy curtsy and the fleeting distrustful glace on her face did not go unnoticed to him. Jon decided to remain quiet for the moment; he would address the situation, with Daenerys by his side, when there were not as many prying eyes and ears. The four Bloodriders followed behind the chambermaid at their Khaleesi’s command.

Arresting Varys had been a simple task. As they barged into the room, he removed his rings and placed them into a metal dish. All the Master of Whispers said to them as Grey Worm placed the heavy iron shackles on his wrists was that he hopes he is incorrect about which side Daenerys’ coin has landed.

Once Varys was safely locked in a cell in the dungeons under Winterfell, Dany ordered two of the Unsullied to stand guard while the other two returned to search the prisoner’s chambers for any evidence of his treason - letters or scrolls or anything else that looked as though it did not belong. They were to bring any findings directly to Grey Worm. Grey Worm was to get Missandei and go to her chambers to wait for the council meeting to begin.

After parting with the Unsullied, Jon and Dany made their way to the rooms that had been prepared for her Dothraki so they could escort them to Arya’s chambers. Arya and Gendry were waiting in the hallway outside of the room when they arrived.

After the Queen said a few words to the Dothraki guards, she, Jon, Arya and Gendry made their way back to the Queen’s chambers. 

“Did she give you any trouble?” Dany asked his sister as they walked down the hall.

“No, your grace,” Arya replied coolly. “Although, she did not realize she was being arrested until she was already in my chambers.”

“How did you do that?” Jon inquired, as he walked behind his sister and his queen.

“Easy, I told her Gendry and I had something, regarding the future, we needed to discuss with her in private,” Arya said nonchalantly with a shrug of her shoulders. “Then, once we got into my sitting room, I told her that her little games were over. I closed and locked the door in her face before she could retort.”

When Jon opened the door to the Queen’s chambers, the room fell silent.

He could see everyone they were expecting were already gathered within the room. Bran was still seated in his wheelchair next to the crackling fire within the stone hearth, Samwell Tarly was standing next to him, holding a heavy tome. Tormund and Tyrion were sitting at a table in the back of the room - the Wildling with a horn of ale in hand, while the Hand of the Queen was taking a gulp of what appeared to be from the Queen’s personal supply of Arbor Gold. Grey Worm, Missandei, Ser Davos and Maester Wolken were seated on chairs that had been placed across from the couch in the center of the room.

Everyone’s eyes went to the four of them as they walked into the room and sat down on the same couch they had occupied less than an hour before. Gendry again stood behind Arya and looked just as uncomfortable as he did earlier in the day.

“So, King Crow, why the fuck did ya call us here to this fancy meetin’?” Tormund asked as he sauntered towards them and sat in one of the empty chairs. “I got things to do ya know… I finally got the big woman to agree to spar with me and just as we were about to start, this plump former crow,” said as he gestured at Sam, “Comes to the training yard, lookin’ all flustered and’ nervous, tellin’ me you and the Dragon Queen needed to speak with me urgently… I get here and there are more than just me here… And none of us knows what the fook is going on.” 

Jon looked over at Daenerys, meeting her eyes, silently telling her she had the lead on this meeting. He was not exactly sure how to proceed; he did not want to say anything that would expand the distance between them. She had her queenly mask in place, however, Jon would see the uncertainty hiding just under the surface. _Bran and I were wrong about Sansa. She doesn’t know if she can trust the people in the room._

“I have checked and everyone in this room is loyal to you both. They can all be trusted. I assure you, I will not make the same mistake again,” Bran stated calmly but with empathy, almost as though he did have the power to read their minds in that moment. 

“I trust Bran,” Jon stated softly. He wanted to reach out and take Dany’s hand in his - he wanted to comfort her and let her know that he cared. However, he did not want to overstep until she was ready, so he prayed she could hear the sincerity in his tone. “He has been honest with us since we arrived at Winterfell. And he has been honest with us today.”

“That is true,” she murmured.

“Would you like for me to tell them?” Jon asked. He hated how his voice sounded weak and timorous even to his own ears. He was still unsure how much she wanted to share, but he knew their councils needed to be informed that Sansa had been arrested and they could help them figure out the best way to proceed with informing the Northern Lords as to why.

“No, I will,” Dany answered firmly. 

_Thank fuck,_ Jon thought as he nodded in affirmation of her words.

“Well what is it?” Ser Davos asked. Not in a prodding way as Lord Varys did earlier, but in a way that showed true compassion and concern. “I can tell that something is truly bothering the two of ya.”

The Queen took a deep breath and Jon looked at the faces of the others as she began to speak. “The Lady of Winterfell, Sansa Stark, and my Master of Whisperers, Lord Varys, have been arrested for treason against both Lord Jon and myself.”

Jon saw the perplexed looks on Ser Davos and Maester Wolken’s faces. 

Bran looked almost sad and Sam looked like he needed a hug.

Across from him Missandei gasped as she grasped the stoic Grey Worm’s hand. 

Tyrion sighed sadly.

Arya looked down at her boots, and Gendry rested his hands one her shoulders. It was clear to Jon he was trying to comfort his sister. It also made Jon think more about how close the two seemed, but now was definitely not the time for that.

Tormund looked at them with a furrowed brow.

However, before anyone could comment, Daenerys continued, “Lord Brandon has informed us of several of her treasonous plots. First, before Jon even left Castle Black, she began working with Lord Baelish to have the Knights of the Vale come into battle at the last minute in hopes they would name her Queen of the North. In return, she would marry Robin Arryn and become Queen of both the North and the Vale. After that plan failed, she continued her scheming… While Jon and Ser Davos were on Dragonstone, she plotted with Lord Glover to rebel against King Jon after the Dead were defeated. She advised Jon to bend the knee to me, for the good of the North, while telling the Lords and Ladies I was betraying them.”

“In exchange for his _loyalty_ , my sister promised she would marry his heir and their children would control Winterfell, Deepwood Motte and the Dreadfort.” Jon added. 

“That must have been why she was so upset we decided to allow the armies time to recover before marching south,” Missandei said softly. 

“You are correct,” Bran affirmed. “By staying, you have delayed her plans. She wanted you and your armies to leave immediately so she could regain power over the North.”

“The second plot began today,” Dany began, she then looked over at him, and gestured with her head for him to tell what had transpired.

Jon took a deep breath, his heart was pounding in his chest and he felt as though he was going to vomit. _Father always said the only time a man can be brave is when he is scared._

“After taking a vow of secrecy under the Heart Tree, I shared some _personal_ information with my sisters. Sansa was angered when I told her I wanted nothing to come of this and the only reason I shared it was because I believed, as my family, they had a right to know their father never… That Lord Stark was an honorable man.” 

Even though Bran had assured him everyone in the room was loyal, Jon could not say the words because every time he had told anyone that Rhaegar and Lyanna were his birth parents a rift had been created - First when he told Dany and now after telling his sisters. He did not think he could do it a third time. _Would Davos or Tormund betray me? Would Gray Worm see me as a threat to his Queen?_

He blew out a shaky breath and continued, trying his best to push those thoughts from his mind. “Within minutes she betrayed me… She approached the Queen’s Hand. Lord Tyrion, and shared what I had told her in confidence. She asked him for help spreading this information in a hope to turn the people of Westeros away from Queen Daenerys. After he declined to assist her with her treasonous plan, she approached Lord Varys. They were successful in spreading this news before we could stop them…” 

“And if this is the information, I verified earlier, why is this information so damning?” Maester Wolken asked before carefully adding, “I would think it would be good news.” 

Jon looked at Daenerys. He did not know what to say. _He thinks Sansa blabbed about the babe?_ _Is Dany ready to tell them about our child? Does he know I am the father of Dany’s child?_

“He is not talking about that,” Daenerys deflected.

Jon watched as the elderly Maester’s brow furrowed in confusion.

“Maester Wolken, I… I believe Jon is talking about his parents,” Sam hesitated as he entered the conversation. 

“There is no way of knowing that information. I searched Winterfell’s archives after Lord Snow was named King in the North, so I could record his lineage in the book of the Kings of Winter,” the Maester stated in a straightforward manner. “It was said Lord Stark never spoke of Lord Snow’s mother… There was also nothing written in the previous Maester’s journals to suggest the late Lord Stark ever confided in them the truth of your mother… There were also no copies of any messages he might have received from her. I found nothing, it was as if his mother was...” the older man trailed off, leaving the word dead unsaid. “Anyways, I am not sure how the identity of Lord Snow’s mother could cause any issues for the Queen.”

Sam looked towards him. Jon could see the uncertainty on his friend’s rotund face. 

“Go on and tell them,” Jon whispered painfully, knowing that there was no other choice. “There is not going to be anymore hiding it, too many people already know.”

Sam then told the story about how he and Gilly had discovered the passage in the Old Septon’s diary, stating he had issued an annulment to Prince Rhaegar and then married him to Lyanna Stark. Then he told them how Bran had seen that Lord Stark found his sister in Dorne, dying from complications of childbirth. On her deathbed, she begged her brother to keep her newborn son, Aegon Targaryen, safe from Robert Baratheon because she knew Robert would kill the infant. Ned Stark had agreed and returned to Winterfell with his sister’s bones and her child. In order to keep this promise to his sister, he claimed her son has his own bastard, Jon Snow, and raised him alongside his trueborn children.

Jon could see looks of understanding on Davos and the Maester’s faces, but Tormund seemed perplexed.

“Why would that Robert guy want to kill a baby?” Tormund inquired. “Babies are harmless.”

“Because, as my brother’s only living child, he would have a claim to the Iron Throne.”

Suddenly, Tormund’s eyes widened in surprise and he barked out a laugh. “HA…so you mean to tell me this Prince Rhaegar is the Dragon Queen’s sister! HA!!! And all this time I thought you were able to ride a dragon because you were just a crazy fucker with a death wish… Turns out you have the dragon’s blood as well… Ya know, even beyond the wall we heard stories about how dragon’s blood sings to others with it… No wonder you couldn’t help yourself from shagging your aunt!” he added, wagging his eyebrows.

 _Gods I never should have confirmed to him I was in a relationship with Daenerys,_ Jon thought, though he was thankful for his friend lightening the mood slightly. However, the mood darkened even more than it was to begin with when Bran spoke once more.

“Another act of treason Sansa has been committing for nearly a year,” Bran stated almost remorsefully. “While you were making the arrests, I rewatched her footsteps… and I saw that just before meeting us, she sent a raven South... to Cersei… Apparently, she has been sharing all of your plans with Cersei since you left for Dragonstone.”

The room fell silent with Bran’s revelation. This was not good. Jon could not believe the lengths Sansa had gone through to set them up for failure. 

“I thought she hated the queen that fucked her brother,” A clearly perplexed Tormund asked, breaking the silence.

“She does. However, Sansa made an agreement with Cersei, she would share Jon and Daenerys’ military strategies and secrets in exchange for Northern Independence… That way if you were not successful in defeating the Lannisters, she would still not have to submit to anyone else’s rule.”

Jon felt his heart begin to beat harder in his chest. His mouth was suddenly parched. _Did Sansa tell her about my parents?_ _If she did, what would Cersei do with the information?_ The questions were on the tip of his tongue, but he could not get his mouth to open. He glanced at Dany and he could see the panic behind her stoney facade.

“Lord Bran, did Sansa send word of the information Jon shared earlier today in the Godswood? The truth about Jon’s parents,” Dany inquired. 

“She did,” Bran confirmed. “But, I was able to intercept the raven as well as several of Varys’… They are returning to Winterfell. However, I was unable to find all of the Spiders ravens and I was unable to stop his little birds. I will not destroy the mind of a child.”

Jon nodded in understanding. Bran had told Jon how he was the one responsible for Hodor’s broken mind and that he would never again enter the mind of a breathing human. “Can you at least tell us where they are located? Maybe we could send loyal men to return them to Winterfell before they get too far.” 

“We could, but it will do no good. The realm will know all the truths soon enough.”

“All the truths?” Tyrion asked.

Jon and Daenerys knew exactly what Bran was saying. Varys’ little birds and ravens were not only carrying the truth of Jon’s parentage, but new of Daenerys’ pregnancy.

Bran sighed, looking at Jon and Dany sympathetically. As much as Jon should be happy his brother was beginning to show emotions once more, he knew he did not want to hear the words his younger brother was about to say.

“The raven he dispatched to Castle Cerwyn has already been received. Lord Cerwyn…” Bran trailed off, looking at them for permission to continue. Jon knew there was no hiding Dany’s pregnancy. If those at Castle Cerwyn already knew, it would not take long for the news to spread. 

“Go, on,” the queen stated, her hand resting on her stomach. “I am done with secrets.”

“Lord Cerwyn is aware of Daenerys’ pregnancy…”

“And…” Dany whispered.

“And he has vowed his men will stand with Sansa in ridding the realms of the dragons once and for all.”

The room was silent for what seemed like an eternity. However, in reality, it was only seconds before Tyrion spoke. “Well, I guess congratulations are in order, your Grace, Lord Snow… I believe this solves the worry over the line of succession. However, that does depend on the actions of Lord Snow.” 

Jon glared at Tyrion. 

“The way I see it, this could go one of two ways. Jon Snow can walk away, denounce his claim to the throne and just disappear… It would make your path to the throne easier, because some will always prefer Lord Snow, simply because he has a cock between his legs.”

Jon was pissed. He had no problem denouncing his claim to the Iron Throne, but he could not believe the Imp would even suggest he should abandon his child. However, before he could retort, Tyrion continued.

“But... if Lord Snow accepts the fact that he is a Targaryen and claims the child....”

“Of course I am going to claim my child!” Jon yelled, his nostrils flaring. “I will not let my child grow up thinking that he or she was not wanted. That I do not love them! You know how I grew up, and you know I would never force that upon my child, Lord Tyrion!” 

“You know, what if for once, the seven kingdoms were ruled by an honorable man and a just woman,” Ser Davos piped.

Tyrion then looked between them. His eyes settled on his queen as he spoke, “I did tell you the best way to form alliances was through marriage.”

“Lord Snow has already asked for my hand in marriage,” Daenerys stated.

“And?” Tyrion asked, quirking his brow.

She remained quiet for what felt like an eternity. _Does she even want me? Does she even want to marry me if she feels I want to marry her, is so that our child will not be a bastard? Or because it is a good political match considering my parentage? How can I make her see that I love her and want to be with her because she is the most loving and compassionate woman I have ever met?_

“A marriage between the two of us would solve many problems and it would solidify the Targaryen claim and I have decided to accept his offer...”

Jon sighed to himself in relief… But he felt a **_caveat_ **coming.

“...If he agrees we will rule the seven kingdoms as equals. All major decisions regarding _our_ people will be made together… Can you accept this, Lord Snow?”

Absolutely he wanted to scream, however, he replied with a simple, murmured, “I accept.” He knew by the Queen’s tone, she was still unhappy with him, but she was giving him an opportunity to redeem himself.

“Splendid,” Tyrion replied, raising his pewter wine glass in a _mock_ toast before taking a long sip. 

“If I might suggest,” Maester Wolken interjected. “It might be beneficial to hold the wedding ceremony as quickly as possible considering the Queen is already nearing the third moon of her pregnancy.” 

_Nearly three moons pregnant already… that means our child must have been conceived on the boat from Dragonstone to White Harbor._

“That does not give us much time to prepare for a royal wedding,” Tyrion stated dryly. “The closest sept and septon would be in White Harbor… I suppose they could wed on the way south.”

“Lord Hand, might I suggest a Northern Wedding, before the march south,” The Maester recommended. “The ceremony is simple and can be completed any time as the majority of the Lords and Ladies are still present in the Keep.”

“That would not be a bad idea,” Ser Davos agreed. “It might help the stubborn Northern Lords see that you are not discarding your Northern values, even though you were born a Targaryen.”

“What about the majority of the country?” Tyrion inquired.

“What about them?” Jon asked.

“The majority of the country follows the new gods. They might feel slighted if their ruler disrespects their gods.”

Jon wanted to scream. He did not give two shits about gods that taught it’s followers to believe that all bastards were horrible, black blooded, power hungry fools. He knew that most bastards just wanted to feel loved - to feel like they belonged. But he also knew he could not alienate more than half of the country he was to rule with his wife. “What if we have a northern wedding now, then have a second ceremony under the light of the seven at a later time… Maybe after we take the throne from Cersei?” Jon suggested, swallowing hard. 

“That could work,” Tyrion conceded. 

“It is settled then,” Daenerys stated diplomatically. “Jon and I will wed under the Heart Tree in the Godswood here at Winterfell, before marching south. Then after _we_ take the Throne, we can have a second ceremony in King’s Landing performed by a Septon… Maester Wolken, when can a wedding ceremony be performed here?”

“It could be performed as early as two days time, your grace.”

“Perfect, we will call a meeting in the Great Hall tomorrow night, then we will wed under the old gods the night after tomorrow.”

“I will make sure all the necessary arrangements are made,” the maester confirmed with a dip of his head.

Jon could barely believe his ears. Not only had Dany agreed to his marriage proposal, they were going to be wed in just a couple of days.

“That sounds good, your Grace,” Missandei said. “A marriage might really lift the spirits of all your people... however, after learning of your pregnancy, do you wish to march south sooner than planned or will you still allow your armies time to heal?”

Jon had not thought about that. What did Dany’s pregnancy mean for the war against Cersei? They had planned on waiting a few moons to allow their armies and Viserion to heal before heading south. _Does Dany still want to wait or does she want to head south now? What are we going to do about the rebellious Northern Lords? What about making sure justice is provided to Sansa and Varys?_

“Your Grace,” the Maester stated, looking at Daenerys. “I know that you are a Queen that will fight alongside your people. Therefore, I would recommend waiting until after your babe is born to travel south. If you were to fall in battle, it would not be just your life at risk.”

“Given the circumstances, I agree with the Maester,” Tyrion stated.

Jon wanted to agree as well, but he held his tongue. The last thing he wanted to do was give Daenerys more reasons that she already had to be pissed at him… especially after she had just agreed to marry him. 

“I believe it is best to think about the situation for a few days so hasty, rash decisions are not made,” Daenerys stated, ending the conversation. “I do not plan to put my--our child’s life in unnecessary danger.”

Jon took this as a victory. He could see the looks of approval on all their advisors faces.

“However, one decision that cannot wait, is what are we going to do with my former Master of Whispers and the Lady of Winterfell?”

Jon felt his stomach sink. Varys was Dany’s to execute how she pleased. But Sansa was different. He wanted nothing more than to run Longclaw through her cold black heart, ending her life the same way he had ended the Night King. However, he knew he could not do that. He might be a Targaryen, but he was also a Stark and he was not a Kinslayer. He did not want to receive that wrath of the old gods or the new.

“We all know they are both guilty,” Arya stated, her tone showed no emotion, though Jon could see the pain she was hiding in her eyes. “But I suppose they still must be given a proper trial.”

“Aye, they will both need to be given a trial,” Jon nodded. 

“How are you going to prove they are guilty?” Gendry asked. “Won’t they just deny their guilt? These are not petty crimes… I was with Arry after they took Lord Stark’s head… It was what caused the war of the five kings. Without proof, won’t the people of the North just think you are trying to get rid of her and Varys ‘cause you think they are a threat? What would stop them from sayin’ their deaths were unjust?”

“There will be proof of Sansa’s teason found in her chambers,” Bran announced. “She has a book about sewing stitches on her desk, the pages have been hollowed out…In that book are correspondences between her and Lord Glover and a copy of the signed betrothal contract. Also, in that book, she has hidden the scrolls you sent from Dragonstone. This is more than enough evidence to prove her treason... Jon, you can also show the scrolls she sent to you while you were in the south. It will show the Lords and Ladies she lied to them.”

“As for Lord Varys,” Bran continued. “There are several of his little birds still within the castle, they will speak against him if given sweets. Also, the ring he removed just before he was arrested contained poison, he was planning to place it in your wine if his little birds in the kitchen were not successful in switching your tea. And several of his ravens he sent earlier are returning. Those messages will be proof enough of his treasons.”

Jon nodded. He was glad he saved the scrolls. He was glad they had found a way to show proof of both Sansa and Varys' guilt, but he still did not know how to carry out her sentence. “The sentence for treason is death… I will be glad to carry out the sentence for Lord Varys… However, as much as I want to, I cannot execute Sansa.”

“My Queen, I can execute traitors after trial if that please you,” Grey Worm said evenly in his broken common tongue.

Daenerys looked to Jon and Arya, silently asking for their permission. They both nodded in consent. 

“I will allow you to execute Lady Sansa, after she has been found guilty,” She replied, turning her attention back to the commander of her Unsullied. “However, I swore to Lord Varys, if he ever betrayed me, I would burn him alive,” Dany stated flatly, her hand resting on her flat stomach. “I want to bring him to justice with fire and blood, but I do not want the people of the North to see me as my father… As the way Sansa has painted me in their eyes…”

“You could always give him a choice,” Jon stated softly, finally taking her hand. “He can die by dragon fire or by a sword.”

Dany nodded. “I will consider that… Now, Maester Wolken, if you would, please send word to the Northern Lords that we will be holding a council tomorrow evening in the Great Hall. At this time, we will announce the charges against Lady Sansa and Lord Varys’ as well as our plan to marry.”

“Of course, your Grace,” The Maester replied, dipping his head once more before leaving the room.

After Maester Wolken left, the group began to disperse. Davos said he was going to begin preparations for the wedding. Tormund wanted to get back to the training yard to spar with Brienne. Sam went to go eat supper with Gilly, little Sam and his brother, Dickon who was recovering from injuries received in the battle. Grey Worm left to conduct the search of Lord Varys’ chambers while Arya and Gendry went to collect the evidence from Sansa’s chambers. 

Jon wanted nothing more than to speak with Dany, to again apologize for this behavior over the last fortnight. 

“Dany,” Jon started, getting her attention before she left her sitting room. “Can we talk?”

“I feel that now is not the time, Jon Snow,” she replied coldly. “Also, I believe that you have scrolls you need to collect before we meet with the Lords tomorrow night… I believe you can see yourself out.”

With that, Dany took Missandei’s arm and the two women left.

“Don’t worry, Jon,” Bran said. 

Jon turned to face his brother.

“I promise you, the old gods have a plan… Now if you don’t mind, would you take me to the Weirwood Tree? I see better there.”

“Aye,” Jon nodded as he began to push his brother’s wheelchair out of the Queen’s sitting room. He wanted to ask what the fuck he meant by ‘the old gods have a plan,’ but held his tongue. _He’s starting to show more emotions, he is probably just trying to help calm my nerves about possibly sending Sansa to her execution, even though it is justified._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter - finally the next day (lol)... Jon talks to Bran. Then Dany... and maybe a couple of other things...


	6. Brotherly Advice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jon talks to Bran and they give each other advice before Jon seeks out Dany in hopes to put things right between them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah - I cut this one a little short so you would not have to wait any longer. I hope you enjoy this little bit and will try and get the next part out soon.
> 
> **Unbeta'd so all errors are my own - please let me know if you see anything wonky so I can fix it**

* * *

* * *

Jon tossed and turned the entire night. His mind was spinning with all he had learned over the last day. He tried to get comfortable, hoping he would be able to relax and calm his racing thoughts, but it was a lost cause. He could not get comfortable. The pillow was too flat. The furs were too coarse. The mattress was too soft. The room was too cold. Then it was too hot. 

The entire time, his mind was thinking about Dany and Sansa and what he was going to do. How he might be able to fix all that was broken?

He needed to find a way to make Dany _feel_ his apology was sincere and that he really did want to be part of her life and their child’s life - _And hopefully the gods will bless us with more children if she ever lets me bed her again. Damn it Jon, you are lucky she is even agreeing to marry you… You have been a complete arse the last few weeks._

He also needed to figure out a way to determine which of the Northern Lords would remain loyal to him after he brought Sansa’s treasons to light. He was already aware he would have to arrest Lord Glover and Lord Cerwyn. _And once they are found guilty in their trials_ _I will gladly use Longclaw to rid him of their heads._ And who was the man Gendry overhead speaking with the kennel master? _Gods, even the smallfolk were talking about where their loyalties laid._ Just how deep had Sansa sown the seeds that he was incompetent to led them… That she would make a better ruler than Daenerys? Did Sansa truly believe the North would be able to sustain themselves if they remained independent of the south in the dead of winter when all the grain rations were gone and there were no animals left to hunt? Could he trust the Lords who wanted to see Sansa as their queen if they knelt before him once more? _Do I even want to trust them?_

As the sun began to break over the eastern wall, Jon knew any attempt at sleep was futile. So he rolled out of his feather bed, and donned his breeches and a fresh tunic. After he secured his leather armor, pulled on his stocking and leather boots, he tied his hair back in a leather tie and made his way to Bran’s chambers. _Gods maybe my brother can see something. Anything that can help._

However, when he reached Bran’s chambers, all he found were the dying embers of a fire in the hearth and an empty, neatly made bed. After checking the Great Hall and Sam’s rooms and still not finding his brother, he headed to the only other place he would be - the Heart Tree in the Godswood.

“Aren’t you afraid you’ll freeze to death out here without a brazier?” Jon inquired lightheartedly as he approached the young man. 

Bran was sitting in his wooden wheeled chair, facing the great white barked weirwood. Thick dark brown pelts were draped across his shoulders and his legs but Jon still feared his brother was cold; there was no telling just hold long Bran had been sitting beside the tree and it was frigid outside. _Even during watches atop the wall we had braziers to keep us warm… I wonder if he has been out here since I brought him here yesterday evening?_

“I spent my entire life in the north, as well as several years beyond the Wall… I have adapted, so the cold doesn’t bother me much,” Bran replied as he turned to face Jon. “Also, I have not been out here long, I had one of my guards bring me out after I broke my fast with Samwell Tarly.”

The tone of his younger brother’s voice was still flat, but Jon could see the edges of the corners of his mouth tick up ever so slightly, as though he was trying to smile. The sight brought hope to Jon that maybe one day his brother would become more human, replacing the shell of indifference that had surrounded him since returning to Winterfell.

“I know that you didn’t sleep at all last night, so you must have many thoughts plaguing your mind,” the last surviving son of Ned Stark continued. “So what is it you would like to know?” 

Jon raked his hand through his raven locks, immediately regretting the action when his fingers snagged on his hair tie. “Bran, I don’t know what to do.” His voice sounded weak. He hated being weak. It was at times like this he missed Maester Aemon. The older man, _my uncle_ , always had a way of giving him council in a way that helped know the right thing to do, even if it was going to be painful or unpopular. _Gods I wish he was still here… to know that he was not alone._ “How am I supposed to trust those I thought were loyal to me? Gendry said he overheard the Kennel Master talking to someone, seeing if they were also loyal to Sansa? Lord Cerwyn and his men fought alongside me against the Night King… How am I supposed to know who I can and cannot trust? How can I arrest people, without evidence of their treasons?”

“You can’t.”

“Can’t what?” Jon was exacerbated. Frustrated. He just wanted to be safe. For Dany to be safe. For the Northerners to be safe and all he has been met with was treason after treason. Learning plot after plot to undermine him and the harm ones he loved the most.

“You cannot arrest people with nothing but hearsay,” Bran replied almost remorsefully. 

“But the Lords took your word and the word of Sansa at Lord Baelish’s…” He trailed off.

“Because no one liked Lord Baelish and they were looking for any way possible to remove him from power,” Bran answered. “Sadly, there are many that wish to remove you from power. They will not take my word without written proof.” 

“Fuck,” Jon muttered, running his hand down his face in frustration. “Have you been able to find anything?”

“I have been looking… But all accounts of treason have been word of mouth.” 

“And if at their trial, they declare they are innocent, and I say they are guilty… without actual proof of their wrong doings, I will look like a mad, paranoid tyrant.” Jon exhaled sharply, clenching his fists in an failed attempt to suppress some of his anger. “This would make those treasonous arseholes look like martyrs and could turn more people against me and Daenerys.”

“Aye,” Bran nodded. “This is why it is so important you have the written documentation of Sansa’s treachery. Her handwriting and the writing of Lord Glover can be verified by messages within the Maester’s archives. With this evidence, even her supporters will not be able to find fault in your sentence.”

“Sansa’s sentence,” Jon whispered, his brother’s words again bringing his fears of becoming a Kinslayer to the front of his mind. _Gods what the fuck am I going to do? The punishment for treason is death… Even if I don’t swing the sword, I will be responsible for her fate. Old gods, please give me the guidance I need to bring Sansa to justice as well as all those that wish me and my family harm._

Jon heard the rustle of the branches as a quick wind blew through the leaves and limbs of the Heart Tree. For a moment, he felt at peace… As if the old gods listened to his plea.

“As I have told you Jon, there is nothing for you to worry about your hands and Daenerys’ hands will be clean in her sentence. The Old Gods have seen her treasons and have already determined her punishment… Just announce her trail and they will take care of the rest.”

“I hope you are right, brother,” Jon whispered in response. “I pray to the old gods you are right.”

“There is another reason you came,” Bran stated, breaking the silence that had descended upon them.

 _Fuck._ Jon had gotten so wrapped up in his thoughts of the treasonous people of the North, he had nearly forgotten. “Dany… How can I help her see that I do love her. That I want to be with her and not just because of the babe.”

“I’m afraid I am not much help when it comes to matters of the heart,” Bran replied sadly. “I was in love once, and she loved me as well… But it did not end well.”

This was news to Jon. He had never known his younger brother to be in love. “Who was she?” he found himself asking, genuinely curious to know about the woman who had captured his brother’s heart and what had happened between them

“Her name is Meera Reed. She is the daughter of Howland Reed, the Lord of Greywater Watch. We traveled together for years… She and her brother, Jojen were by my side when Rickon and I escaped Winterfell after it was sacked by Theon. She and her brother remained by my side after Samwell let us through the gate at the Nightfort. She remained with me even after her brother was killed by the Army of the Dead… She was with me the entire time I was trained by Bloodraven. Then, she was the one who brought me back to Winterfell, alive, after I completed my training.”

“Why haven’t you introduced me to her?”

“Because she is not here… I pushed her away and after she returned me to Winterfell, she went home,” Bran stated. Jon was surprised he could hear regret in his brother’s tone. “I knew that she loved me, but after Bloodraven _dumped_ all of his knowledge into me and Hodor’s death because of me, I did not want to hurt her… So I pushed her away. I was angry and confused. I no longer thought of myself as Bran Stark; I could only think of myself as what I had become - The Three-Eyed Raven.”

“Bran you are _still_ you,” Jon replied sympathetically. “You are still my younger brother.”

“Aye, I am, just as you are still Jon Snow, even though you now know you have never really been a bastard,” Bran agreed. “And just as you are coming to terms with your true name and who you were born, I am still learning that even though I am now the Three-Eyed Raven, I am also still Brandon Stark, son of Eddard Stark and Catelyn Tully.”

“So what are you going to do? Are you going to write to her? Tell her you are sorry for pushing her away?”

“Do you think I should?” Bran asked. “You really think I should reach out to her?”

Again, Jon could hear fear and uncertainty in his brother’s words. While it warmed his heart that Bran seemed to be regaining some sense of personality, it pulled at his heart strings that his brother had made a mess by pushing someone who cared about him so much away. _Gods he really did do exactly what I did. He got scared that he did not deserve to be loved and pushed it away._

“Aye, I do,” Jon nodded, answering Bran’s inquiry. “I really think you need to talk to her. Meera is never going to know how you really feel unless you tell her. I think you should write to her, invite her to Winterfell so that she knows you are being true to your word… When she gets here, just be honest with her that you are learning to be Brandon Stark once again.… Let her know that you are sorry and it was stupid of you to push her away. That you were being selfish and were not thinking about how your actions would hurt her.”

“I will. Thank you Jon… And maybe you should take some of your own advice.”

“What would that be?” Jon inquired with a furrowed brow.

“Go and talk to Daenerys. Tell her how you feel and that you are sorry... That you were not taking her feelings into consideration.”

“I already did that,” Jon scoffed. “She believed me until she found out you told me about the babe… Now she thinks I just want to marry her because she is pregnant with my child. The only reason she agreed to marry me is so others won’t try to get me to press my claim. Because it is what would be best for the people of Westeros, especially after so many years of war.” 

“I believe there is more to why she agreed to marry you.”

“Maybe she just agreed to marry me because she needs a King to stand by her side.”

“She ruled in Meereen without a King. She has her advisors to assist with ruling her kingdoms.” 

“She knows that I will not challenge her rule… So by marryin’ me, she will not have to live in constant fear her consort tryin’ to take the Iron Throne away from her.” Jon countered again.

“Do you really believe that?” Bran challenged. “Do you really think she is marrying you because that is what she feels is best?” 

“Bran, Dany doesn’t love me anymore,” Jon answered remosefully. “I broke her heart and her trust. She is marrying me solely out of her duty to the realms of men and the legitimacy of our child… Hells, if it were not for our child, she would probably never want to see me again and would be happy to have me stay here, running the North in her name for the rest of my days.” 

“With what I have seen, I don’t believe that.”

Jon stared at his younger brother as his mind began to process the words. _Could she really be marrying me because she still loves me?_

“What… What did you see?” he asked, his voice croaked, tone barely a whisper. “I need to know if there is hope. That my feelings are no one sided.”

“It is not my place to tell you what I saw.”

“Bran, please,” Jon begged, his mind spinning at the possibility his brother heard something that made him believe Dany still cared about him… that she was still in love with him. He sent a silent prayer to the old gods there was actually hope he and Dany would not have a loveless, political marriage. That they would be able to rekindle the fire that consumed them on the boat from Dragonstone to Winterfell. “I need to know.”

“The Queen knows that a Targaryen alone in the world is a terrible thing, Jon,” Bran answered cryptically. “I think if you speak to her, she will let you know how she truly feels. She will tell you of her plans for _Breaking the Wheel_.”

 _Her plans for breaking the wheel?_ Jon was already aware she wanted to help the smallfolk. That she wanted them to have more opportunities to succeed in life; that she wanted them to be able to make a name for themselves, no matter how they were born. _Just like I was a bastard who thought the only way I’d ever amount to anything was to join the Night’s Watch._ “Do you know where she is?”

“She is with the dragons. Checking on their healing and making sure they are eating well. Go to her.”

“Thank you, Bran,” Jon replied sincerely before leaving the Godswood. 

The melting snow still crunched beneath Jon’s leather boots as he made his way through the courtyard and out of the gray stone walls surrounding Winterfell’s castle. As he marched towards where the dragons made their lair outside the keep, his mind was a jumble of what he would - _should_ \- say to Daenerys. _How am I supposed to make her know that I am sorry for being an arse? How am I supposed to get her to see that I am sincere in my love? That I would do anything to ensure her wellbeing and the safety of our child? Should I get on my knees and beg her for forgiveness?_

When the pile of charred bones and Dany’s three dragons came into view, Jon’s stomach was in knots. He still did not know what he was going to say to the woman he loved. _I guess I should use the advice I gave Bran and just be honest with her… Is she even out here?_

He saw her then, tending to Viserion’s injured wing. “How is he healing?” he found himself asking. He was genuinely concerned for the cream colored dragon that had been injured in the battle against the Night King.

“Jon, I can honestly say I was not expecting to see you until the meeting tonight in the Great Hall,” Dany stated aloofly, her face a mask of indifference as she stepped out from under Viserion’s injured wing. She did not answer his query regarding the process of her dragon’s healing. 

The former King in the North swallowed hard. He knew he had to make things right. “I came here to talk to you.” he stated his tone leaving her with no doubt that he was serious. “I cannot live like this… It is not fair to me or to you or to our child.”

“What, are you talking about?” 

Jon was surprised to hear a tinge of worry in her cool tone and he noticed the way her brow raised slightly before she quickly schooled her features back into her queenly facade. The face she wore when he and Ser Davos walked into the Throne Room at Dragonstone over a year ago. The face she wore when she did not know him - before she learned to trust him. 

_Fuck. This is not good._ He took a few steps closer, stopping when he stood next to Rhaegal. He placed his gloved hand on the gorgeous beast’s snout - The heat from the dragons scales easily permeated through his glove and filled him with courage. _The blood of the dragon runs through your veins, Jon. A Targaryen alone in the world is a terrible thing. The only time a man can be brave is when he is afraid._

“I cannot enter into marriage with someone who doesn’t trust me,” Jon found himself stating.

“And how do you propose to fix that?” Dany inquired.

Jon could tell he had piqued the Queen’s interest.

“I think it is time we went for a little flight.” Jon replied as he climbed up onto Rhaegal’s back. Once he was settled, he gave the green dragon the command to fly, praying Dany would follow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter - Jon and Dany talk.


	7. Return to the Waterfall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jon takes Dany back to the place he last saw her smile. They talk about a lot of shit. When the get back to Winterfell, someone is waiting for them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unbeta'd. If you see and error, please let me know so I can fix it.

* * *

* * *

As the wind caused by the flapping of Rhaegal’s wings whipped Jon’s heavy fur lined cloak, he could feel something was different. 

Something had changed. 

Not a bad change at all - a good one. 

Jon felt closer to the green dragon _\- the dragon she named after the man whose seed created my life… my true father I never knew._. It was as though the tether binding them together was stronger. He could sense Rhaegal’s thoughts. He could feel fire burning under the thick leathery scales.

He glanced over this shoulder and sighed in relief when he saw Dany on the back of Drogon following him with Viserion chasing after his brothers to the best of his ability with his healing wing. _Thank the old gods Viserion is going to be alright._ Jon knew how much the dragons meant to her, that she thought for so long they were the only children she would ever have.

By now, he was sure that Dany knew where he was leading them… To the beautiful waterfall, in the Wolfswood - last place they had truly expressed their love for one another. _Gods at times I wish we would have just stayed there and never returned to Winterfell._ Jon knew that returning to the castle and their people could not have been avoided because if they had stayed at the waterfall they, as well as all of their people would have been killed by the Night King and his army of mindless dead minions. 

When they had returned from that perfect first flight, Dany went to check on her Dothraki troops and Jon was met at the gates of the keep by Sam. Sam had said he and Bran had important information that could be used to help during the battles to come. 

_“Bran, what is it? What did you see?” Jon asked as soon as he and Sam arrived in the Godswood. “Did you find a weakness that could be used against the Night King?”_

_“I know who your mother was,” Bran had stated flatly._

_Jon was confused. He had long since given up hope that he would ever know who his mother was and if she would have been proud of him. He believed the identity of his mother had died with his father in King’s Landing. And now, her identity did not really seem important. He had finally been seen as more than Ned Stark’s only mistake - the Northerners had accepted him as Ned Stark’s son, even though he did not share the Stark name… They had chosen him to be their king even before little Lyanna Mormont shared Robb’s will, naming him as his heir._

_Also, he did not understand why his mother had anything to do with helping in the war against the Army of the Dead. However, before Jon could tell Bran that it didn’t matter, that he had made peace with never knowing who his mother was, his brother continued, saying the words that would ever change how he viewed himself._

_“And your father.”_

_“Bran, what are you talking about?” Jon’s heart began to pound against the scar over his heart. “All of Westeros knows that Lord Stark sired me during Robert’s Rebellion. I don’t see how telling me whether my mother was a whore or a highborn lady or a fisherman’s daughter will help us fight the battles against the Night King and Cersei.”_

_“Lord Stark was not your sire...” Sam started._

_“Everyone believed his sister had been kidnapped by Rhaegar Targaryen… It was a lie. It was all a lie.” Bran interrupted. “They fell in love at the tourney at Harrenhal. Lyanna left a note at Riverrun the night she left to meet Rhaegar - In the message she stated she would never marry Robert Baratheon and had to follow her heart. were married at the Isle of Faces by the High Septon and the marriage was recorded in his diary. She bore him a son she named Aegon…”_

_Jon’s ears began ringing. His brother’s words became muffled._

_“...begged with her brother to protect her babe from Robert as you were placed in his arms. Father protected her child the only way he knew how, by naming him as his natural born son… Jon Snow.”_

_“You’re lying,” Jon choked._

_“Jon, you know it’s true,” Sam replied sympathetically, placing a comforting hand on Jon’s shoulder._

_He felt as though he had been stabbed in the gut once more. Though the knives that pierced his stomach and chest had been cold. This pain felt red hot, as though his flesh and blood was being used to quench the glowing steel. “It… It can’t be… It’s not true...” he stammered, shaking Sam’s hand from his shoulder and walking closer to the Great Heart Tree._

_However, in his heart, he knew what they told him was true. It all made too much sense. Ned Stark was the most honorable man in Westeros. There was no way he would break an oath to his wife or his sister. He could hear Sam and Bran continuing to speak behind, but he could not make out the words they were saying._

_He could not concentrate. He was confused. He was angry. Nothing in his life made any sense. All he knew was he had been lied to his entire life. He no longer knew who he was._

_“Why… Why would you tell me this! I don’t want the Throne!” Jon snapped, finally finding his voice ._

_“But you want to protect people,” his brother interjected - his tone still cold and distant - unfeeling. “And now that the Night King has used the Horn of Winter to bring down the Wall, the best way for you to do that is to accept who you are and be a dragon.”_

_“I want neither of you to speak of this again. I will not take the Iron Throne from Daenerys. She has worked hard to improve the lives of all those who follow her. She is MY QUEEN,” Jon declared just before he stormed from the Godswood. He needed to be alone. He ignored Sam’s pleas for him to come back._

Jon sighed recalling how stupid he had been - how him taking the news of his parentage had turned one of the best days of his life into the worst. If he had taken the news a little better, perhaps this whole mess with Dany could have been avoided. 

At the time, he thought his brother and his best friend wanted him to press his claim to the Iron Throne, simply because he was a man. However, Bran had later explained he wanted Jon to accept his Targaryen blood before the Army of the Dead arrived. Bran believed that if he accepted his heritage, it would solidify his bond with Rhaegal and they would be safer during the battle. Jon had been reluctant. He believed the only reason Rhaegal allowed him on his back was because his mother had asked - because Dany wanted her child to be safe. Jon now understood. Now that he had truly accepted his Valyrian heritage, he could only describe the bond he felt with Rhaegal as one similar to what he shared with Ghost. Unbreakable. 

A few minutes later, they arrived at the waterfall, and Jon slid a little more gracefully off Rhaegal’s back compared to the last time they were here. He thanked the green dragon and watched him take back off into the sky above. A few moments later, his two brothers joined him in the clear blue sky. He took his eyes off the dragons when he heard the crunching of footsteps in the snow and turned to see Dany walking towards him.

_This is it. You can do this. Make her see that you do love her. That you would do anything for her and your babe._

“Alright, Jon Snow,” Dany stated, stopping a few feet in front of him, crossing her arms over her chest. Her tone not giving any of her feelings away. “What is this about you no longer wishing to marry me?”

“I want to marry you more than anything,” Jon stated, hoping his voice did not sound desperate. “I just want for you to trust me… I need you to trust that I want to marry you because I love you.”

“How can you make me believe that?” Her voice was soft, but Jon knew her well enough to hear the hurt just under the surface. “You came to my chambers yesterday, after over a fortnight of trying to avoid my presence as if speaking to me would unleash a plague across all of Westeros. You tell me you told your sisters about your claim to the Throne…” 

“Dany, I don’t...”

“I don’t want to hear you tell me you don’t want it! If you didn’t want it, why did you tell them? I told you what would happen if you told Sansa! Your sister hates me! She has been frigid to me since the moment I walked through the gates of _her_ castle and unlike Arya, she never made an effort to get to know me. So make me understand why you felt it was so important they knew the truth, especially before I secured the Iron Throne from Cersei?”

Jon sighed heavily as he pondered the words to tell her why he had told his sisters. A good part of him wanted for the information never to get out, but the nagging in his gut was relentless. Ned Stark had taken the secret to his grave. But he felt as though he couldn’t, it was not fair to Sansa and Arya. “I felt guilty.”

“Guilty? Guilty about what? Guilty that you told them. Guilty that Sansa undermined me, just as I feared.”

“No… Well at the time no,” Jon answered quietly. _Now I can see that telling Sansa was the biggest fuck up of my life._

“Then why? Why did you tell them after I begged you not to?” Dany bit. 

Although her words were coarse, Jon could see the desperation in her violet orbs. The pleading that she truly wanted to know why he told his sisters.

“Because I honestly believed they both had the honor our father instilled in us to keep a sacred oath... and because I needed them to know that their father was innocent,” he added softly.

“Innocent? How is keeping you, an innocent child safe from being murdered by his _best friend,_ make him guilty of a crime?” she asked, confusion clear on her face.

“All of my life, I lived with the guilt that I was the one stain on the honor of Eddard Stark… That his one sin in life was laying with a woman who was not his wife, creating me. Once I learned Father… my uncle Ned, was not guilty of this, I felt ashamed. This knowledge ate at me. I knew their father was innocent, and they still believed he broke the sacred oath he made to their mother… I could not let his daughters go on believing a lie when I knew the truth.” Jon blew out a shaky breath. “I could barely look them in the eyes without feeling guilty. Feeling ashamed. I felt they had a right to know in case I did not return from King’s Landing.” Jon continued as understanding began to show on her features. “Just like I could barely look you in the eyes after I learned the truth about my parents.”

“I still wish you never would have told me,” Dany muttered softly as she took his gloved hand in her own. Her expression softened slightly. “Why did you feel the need to tell me about your parents just before the battle against the dead?”

Jon laughed softly in response. “Because, I honestly thought I was meant to die killing the Night King and I could not let you live the rest of your life believing your brother kidnapped and raped Lyanna Stark. I felt you deserved to know Rhaegar was not an evil person or mad. He was just a fool in love with the wrong woman… and my mother was fool in love with a married man.”

“Not too long ago, I recall telling someone that men in love do stupid things and they die,” she replied softly, sadly.

“Well I’m a man in love and I thank the old gods I did not die from my stupid actions,” Jon replied, squeezing her hand.

A small sound that sounded close to a laugh escaped Dany’s lips and Jon felt his heart tighten. 

“I am also glad you did not die… Jon, do you really love me? Or was everything you said yesterday just because your brother told you I was with child and you did not want your child to be a bastard?”

Her words crushed him. He felt as though all the air had left his chest. _Gods I was such a fucking idiot._ He took a deep breath. He knew was terrible at expressing his feelings and knew he needed to address what had happened in her chambers the day before.

“Dany, of course I don’t want our child to be born a bastard,” Jon started, cursing himself when he saw Dany’s nostrils flare, a sign of her anger rising. “I also meant every word I said yesterday. I love you and wanted to be with you. I was a fool. I was upset that I had been lied to my entire life. I felt as though I no longer knew who I was… I was raised as a Stark. I knew how to be a Stark. I thought there something was wrong with me because I was lusting after a woman who shared my blood. Thankfully, Bran called me out on it. He helped me to understand there was nothing wrong with being in love with you. He’s been telling me for weeks that I needed to embrace my heritage and go to you. To tell you I was sorry.”

“If you knew you loved me, why did you not come to me sooner?”

“I was scared. I thought I had already lost you by pushing you away and no amount of graveling would make you love me again.” Jon answered sadly. “Then when Bran told me Sansa broke her vow by telling Tyrion about my parents, I wanted to run to your chambers - to warn you. I was so fucking scared that something bad was going to happen to you if I did not get to you at that second. But he stopped me. He told me you were not there. That you were with Maester Wolken… At that moment, I feared the worst,” Jon squeezed her hands once more. “I had never been so afraid. I thought Sansa had already had someone harm you and if you were hurt or killed because of me, I never would be able to live with myself. Bran eased my fear by telling me you were safe... that you had just gone to see the Maester for confirmation of the babe. Hearing that you are pregnant… Gods, it put things into perspective for me. I could not picture my life without being by your side and I knew I had to do whatever it took to make things right between us. I should have just gone to you sooner. I should have never pushed you away. I was a fool.”

The next thing he knew, Dany was in his arms. Her head was resting against his shoulder. She was crying.

“Dany, I am so fucking sorry. I was a fool. I...”

“Stop it!” Daenerys demanded and she pulled away and looked him in the eyes. “STOP. Stop repeating yourself up. I believe you. I believe you are sorry and I wanted to apologize as well.”

Jon was confused. “Dany, you did nothing wrong. You have nothing to apologize for…”

“I do,” Dany confirmed. “I never should have thought the worst… I should have talked to you. Asked you how you were feeling, how you were dealing with the truth of your parentage instead of immediately thinking you wanted to take the Iron Throne for yourself… We need to talk to each other. We both need to trust each other…”

“Aye, we do,” Jon agreed. “I should have trusted you with all that was swirling around in my head, but trust doesn’t come easy for me. When I trusted my steward at the Night’s Watch, I was betrayed and murdered. Hells, I have tried so many times to trust Sansa since we were reunited, and all she has ever done was betray me and our family. I wanted to trust her. She is my blood, but all she has ever done is shit on the people who love her to gain more power for herself.”

“I know I should feel bad for Sansa, but I don’t. I understand that because of everything she has been through, she has trust issues as well, but sometimes we need to have faith in people other than ourselves… Trusting others does not come easy for me either,” she murmured. “I have been betrayed so many times in my life, by people who claimed to love me. Viserys said he loved me, then he sold me. When I first met Ser Jorah, he was spying on me for the usurper… because of his actions, I was nearly poisoned when I was pregnant with Rhaego. I saved a woman - When Drogo was injured, I trusted her to save his life… She murdered him and my unborn. Then I put my trust in you, that the Northerners would see that I was here to help them - that they would see I was not here to conquer them. I bled for the North. My armies bled for the North. Ser Jorah gave his life protecting the land he had once called his home… However, when they look at me, all I still see is anger and distrust - they don’t love me, they fear me and I was all alone…” she trailed off, looking away from him and towards the waterfall behind him.

Jon’s heart constricted at the pain he had caused her. He had been so consumed and absorbed in his own self pity, that he did not consider how she was being treated by his people. He did not stand up for her or defend her. He was not there to listen to her… He had not been there when she needed him most. 

“Dany, let’s make a promise to each other,” Jon stated. Once Dany’s eyes were staring back on his, he continued. “No more secrets. No more hiding our feelings. If we feel overwhelmed or need to talk about anything, we need to go to one another… If we keep on hiding our feelings from each other, we will never be able to fully trust. And if we do not stand together, people will use whatever it is against us or drive us apart. ”

“I agree,” she replied, the corners of her lips drawing up slightly. “And I am proud of you, Jon Snow…”

Jon furrowed his brow. He could not understand why Dany would have any reason at all to be proud of him. He was about to inquire, but Dany continued.

“It appears now you no longer have to concern your thoughts with how to defeat the dead, you can think about politics.”

“I believe I will leave the politics to you,” Jon answered with a smile of his own. 

“I want you to rule with me - by my side as my equal. We are stronger together. You help temper my impulses. I need you to help council me… I want for you to break the wheel with me.”

Jon smiled. “Aye, I promise I’m not leaving you again. I will be by your side now and always. Together.” His heart felt lighter, but he still had a bit of nagging in his gut. “I want to be honest with you... I wasn’t lying when I said I’m not the best at political shit. The only person who ever really took the time to teach me anything about politics was Maester Aemon when I was at Castle Black…”

“Aemon?” Dany interrupted. “That is a Targaryen name.”

Again, Jon felt his stomach drop. He felt like shit. How the fuck had he never told her about her-their Great Uncle Aemon. How she wasn’t the first Targaryen he knew. How Aemon Targaryen was one of the greatest and most knowledgeable men he had ever known. And that she would never get the opportunity to know him.

“Aye,” Jon confirmed. “He was the third son of Maeker I. He was sent to the Citadel to learn by his Grandfather, King Daeron II, because he felt there were too male Targaryen heirs… He forged his chain and became a maester at the age of nineteen. After he refused to take the throne from his younger brother, Aegon V, he chose to go to the Wall and served as the Maester at Castle Black.” 

“How was he not killed by Robert Baratheon?”

“He served there for so long, I think people forgot he was a Targaryen. He was over a century old when he died in his sleep.”

She seemed a little crestfallen at that statement. “Can you tell me about him? What type of man was he?”

“He was one of the best men I have ever known,” he admitted truthfully. “He was old and blind, but his mind was sharp and he was loved and respected by all the brother’s at Castle Black. He always knew what to say - knew how to make me see things from a different perspective when I was angry or brooding.”

Jon went on to tell her about how his vows had been tested during the rebellion - that he wanted to go and fight for his family, but by that time his eyesight was already failing and there was nothing he would have been able to do to save any of them. He also told her how Aemon had told he would not take joy in his command, but he needed to stop being a boy ‘to kill the boy within him and let the man be born.’

“He sounds like he was an amazing man,” Dany murmured. “I wish I would have had the opportunity to meet him. To talk to him. To learn from him as you did.”

“I know that he was proud of you,” Jon stated, taking her into his arms and pressing a kiss to her temple.

She scoffed in response, snuggling further into his chest before she sadly muttered, “He probably didn't even know I was alive.”

“He did know you were alive, and he loved you,” Jon confirmed, pulling her even closer to his chest. “As you know, he was blind… So, Sam and I would have to read any Raven missives to him. Whenever we received information about you and your exploits in Essos, his eyes would light up with joy. And he wanted more than anything to go to you - _A Targaryen alone in the world is a terrible thing_.” 

“I was alone for so long,” she sighed. “I would have welcomed him with open arms.”

“I did offer to send him, but he declined. He feared he would not survive the trip to Meereen and he did not want to leave Castle Black without a Maester.” 

Dany then pulled out of his arms slightly and looked at him. Her cheeks and nose were red from the cold and she had tears trickling from the corners of her eyes. But she had a real smile. A beautiful smile. A smile that he had not seen on her face since the last time they were together at the same waterfall. And in her eyes he saw love. He was in awe. _How in the hells did I get so lucky._

“Thank you, Jon,” She said, bringing him out of his trance.

“For what? I didn’t do anything?”

“You did,” she affirmed. “You made sure Aemon was not alone in his last years. I can tell by how you spoke about him, you gave him meaning. A purpose. And you made sure he did not spend the last years of his life alone.”

She was looking at him with adoration and there was such reverence in her tone that he knew she meant the words. He could not find the words to express how much her words meant to him, so he did the only thing he knew how. He bent down and captured her lips with his own, pouring every ounce of love he had for her into the kiss. It was definitely not their most passionate kiss, but for him, it was the most meaningful.

When he pulled away, he swore she followed his lips. 

“Thank you, Dany,” he murmured resting his forehead against hers. “I love you. And I am going to spend the rest of my life, making sure I show you just how much you mean to me.”

“I love you too, more than I ever thought was possible to love another.” Suddenly he saw a playful, mischievous spark in her crystal clear amethyst eyes. “I think we should head back to Winterfell, so you can show me just how much you love me.”

Jon did not need to be told twice. He wanted nothing more than to begin proving his love to this magnificent woman who chose to love him. Within minutes, they were on the backs of Rhaegal and Drogon and flying back to the castle.

As soon as Rhaegal landed he ran over to Drogon and offered his hand. “It’s slippery out... I cannot have the mother of my child slipping on the snow and ice,” he offered shyly when she stated she did not need help. He knew she did not need help, but he would take any excuse needed just to touch her again.

After she climbed down from her dragon, it took all of his willpower not to pull her into his arms and carry her to his chambers. Instead, he offered his arm and the couple walked together towards the keep.

As soon as they entered the gate, Jon saw Bran sitting in the courtyard in his wheelchair, Ghost was by his side. He knew his brother was waiting for him. _Gods dammit! What the fuck has happened now? Has Cersei decided to send her armies after us?_ He thought as they walked over to him. He wanted to be optimistic, but it seemed that his brother only ever had shitty news as of late. 

“Bran, what is it?” Jon asked, hoping fear did not show in his tone. 

“I found something,” his brother stated with an air of indifference. 

Jon felt his stomach begin to knot up as anxiety roiled in gut. He felt the grip Dany had on his arm tighten just a bit as thought she herself was physically embracing for the impact of Bran’s words.

“Ghost showed me where to look… and in light of recent events, I think you will like this information,” he added as a ghost of a smile began to spread across his normally flat features.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some requested Jon telling Dany about Aemon - I hope I did this justice... And I will never forget about good boy Ghost!!! He is a very good boy indeed!
> 
> Next update of this story will most likely be after the holidays.
> 
> Next - Bran tells Jon and Dany what Ghost helped him to find. Then Jon and Dany go exploring.


	8. Tales from the Crypt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bran tells Jon where to find the items Ghost showed him. Dany and Jon go through what was found.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait. This story is not abandoned. Life if busy and got sidetracked with work and other projects.

__

* * *

_“Bran, what is it?” Jon asked, hoping fear did not show in his tone._

“I found something,” his brother stated with an air of indifference. 

Jon felt his stomach begin to knot up as anxiety roiled in gut. He felt the grip Dany had on his arm tighten just a bit as thought she herself was physically embracing for the impact of Bran’s words.

“Ghost showed me where to look… and in light of recent events, I think you will like this information,” he added as a ghost of a smile began to spread across his normally flat features.

After Dany had the mercy to forgive his idiocy, all Jon had wanted to do was take his Queen to his chambers and make up for lost time. He had wanted to show her just how much he missed her, how much he loved her and how grateful he was for her granting him forgiveness he probably did not deserve. However, now he was standing in Winterfell’s courtyard, waiting for more bad news.

Even though there appeared to be the glimpse of a smile on Bran’s face and he said he would like the information, Jon felt apprehensive to accept anything good would be said, because over the last day, his brother… the Three Eyed Raven had given him nothing but bad news. _Well not all bad news, he did tell me about my child._ However, Jon could not help but think that the smile on his lips was one sadness or maybe as a way to soften the devastation from the bad news he was about to share. 

“What is it?” Jon finally asked as he pulled Dany just a bit closer to his side. 

“As I said, Ghost showed me where to look... I am sorry I did not see this before.”

“Bran please, just tell us,” Jon said softly, hoping it did not sound as though he were begging. 

“Not here,” Bran said, keeping his tone low as he looked around the busy courtyard. “Take me to the Godswood.”

Jon nodded and a few minutes later, he, Dany, Ghost and his brother were gathered around the great Weirwood in the center of Winterfell’s Godswood.

His brother then explained that Ghost came to him just after he had Dany had flown off on their dragons. He could sense the direwolf wanted to show him something. So he looked through the eyes of the wolf and was led down to the crypts. Bran said he was surprised when the direwolf stopped in front of Lyanna’s Stark’s final resting place and started pawing at the base of her statue. He knew then that Ghost could feel there was something there… Something that needed to be uncovered. So Bran used his powers to look back and saw that his father, Eddard Stark had buried a trunk alongside his mother’s bones.

“What is in the trunk?” Jon breathed out as he felt Dany squeeze his hand - he was thankful she was by his side giving him the support he needed.

“I am not exactly certain,” Bran sighed. “I saw Father and Howland Reed gather several items before they fled the Tower of Joy. There were some trinkets and books and a blanket. A stack of letters that were bound with a ribbon and a cloak...”

Of all the possibilities running through Jon’s head he had not expected the Three Eyed Raven to tell him that his Uncle Ned had brought items with him from Dorne.

“...And as Uncle Benjen helped Father bury the trunk, he told him the evidence-”

Jon felt as though he had been punched in the gut. “Uncle Benjen knew,” he gasped, cutting his brother off.

Bran nodded in confirmation. 

The betrayal Jon felt at that moment cut deep. Not only had the man who raised him, lie to him his entire life, so did his uncle. _How could the two men I looked up to my entire life cast me aside as though they didn’t give a shit if I lived or died never knowing I wasn’t an unwanted bastard. Gods I should have known when Uncle Benjen told me there was always room for bastards at the Wall._

“Jon, it’s not what you think,” Bran stated, the convection in his tone gave Jon’s wandering thoughts pause. 

“How could it not be,” Jon spat, pulling his hand from Dany’s as he began to pace around the area between the hot spring and of the Heart Tree. “They made me think joining the Night’s Watch was an honorable calling. As though they wanted to go to the Wall and make a vow to wear no crown. To hold no lands. To father no children…”

“Father might have made mistakes, but he always intended for you to know who your parents were before you decided to take the Black!” Bran interrupted, his tone defensive of his father. “He wanted you to know you were wanted and loved by your parents. He even made Uncle Benjen swear an oath, in front of this very Heart Tree, that if anything were to happen to him before he was able to tell you the truth, he would come down from Castle Black, take you to the Crypts, give you whatever was in that box.”

“Then why did they make me go to Castle Black? Why did they allow me to swear my vows to the Watch?”

Bran then explained it was never their intention for Jon to take the Black. That Tyrion Lannister traveling to the Wall with their party had put a hold on their plans. He told him Uncle Benjen had planned to return to Castle Black before Jon took his vows to the Night’s Watch and tell him the truth, after the Lannister entourage left. And no matter what Jon decided, the Starks would have supported him.

Jon stopped his pacing and looked towards where his brother was sitting. “How would they have supported me?” 

“Apparently, the key to your legitimacy is in the trunk.”

 _Why the fuck didn’t he say that when I asked what was in the trunk._ Jon thought as he glared at his brother.

“Jon, why don’t you go to the crypts and retrive the trunk?” Dany said softly, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. “Grey Worm would be happy to assist you.”

“Thank you,” Jon replied, taking his betrothed’s hand from his shoulder and placing a kiss on her fingers. “I would appreciate that.”

“There is more,” Bran stated, interrupting the moment. “Do you remember the story of Prince Jacaerys Velaryon.”

“Aye,” Jon replied with a furrowed brow. “During the Dance of Dragons, it was rumored that when he visited Winterfell, his dragon, Vermax, laid a clutch of eggs somewhere in the crypts… but no eggs have ever been found.”

A smile then spread across the face of his younger brother. “I know where they are.”

“What?” Dany breathed out beside him.

“Impossible… How?”

“Ghost,” Bran said as he gestured toward the giant white wolf. “After showing me that you needed to look inside your mother's crypt, he led me further down into the crypts.”  
  


* * *

  
“I don’t believe this,” Dany murmured as she lifted one of the four eggs, the rich purple one, from the burlap sack he’d placed onto the bed and inspected it. “This is beautiful.”

“Aye,” Jon agreed as he carefully removed the other three eggs and placed them atop the furs. The eggs were breathtaking. In addition to the purple on his soon to be wife held, there was one that was such a deep blue it reminded him of the midnight sky. Another the color of Weirwood leaves. And the fourth was the color of freshly fallen snow. “I still cannot believe they have been hidden in Winterfell’s crypts for over one-hundred seventy-five years… And I cannot believe they are still warm. It’s as though the Hot Springs that heat the keep also kept the eggs warm all this time.”

“They are warm because they are alive,” Dany stated softly as she began to inspect the navy blue egg. “I can feel the life within them.”

“Aye, I could as well,” Jon admitted, recalling the pulsating warmth he felt from the eggs as he lifted them from the hole deep in the depths of the crypts. “But Grey Worm did not seem to feel anything. He told me he was _‘sorry they just pretty rocks now.’_ ”

The giggle that came from her lips warmed Jon’s heart. He vowed to himself to try to do something to elicit that sound from her each day for the rest of their lives. “Well, to those without the blood of old Valyria, they might just feel like rocks. I remember the man who gifted me my dragon eggs at my wedding as well my handmaidens at the time, Irri and Doreah, believed the eggs had turned to stone. But I could feel the spark of life within them that wanted to be freed.”

“Dany, do you think they will hatch?”

“I’m not sure,” she answered. “But I do feel we should keep them warm.”

Jon then helped Dany take the eggs to the fire that was burning in the hearth. After they sat down in front of the fireplace, she tenderly placed each of the four eggs into the flames. Every time he saw her hands enter the flames he was awed that she seemed unaffected by the heat of the fire and then when she removed them, he was again spellbound that they came out without redness or blisters. 

However, what were they going to do with the eggs if they did hatch. Would they be able to protect them if they did? He recalled Dany telling him that dragon hatchlings were vulnerable, just like children. That Drogon, Rhaegal and Viserion had actually been stolen from her when they were young. What if someone tried to steal these dragons if they hatched? Could they trust those around them to keep the hatchlings safe. “Do we even want to hatch them?” Jon found himself saying aloud before he could stop.

The beautiful Mother of Dragons looked perplexed. 

“You lost so much to hatch Drogon, Rhaegal and Viserion,” he explained causing her furrowed brow to soften. “And the tragedy at Summerhall… So many of our ancestors perished when King Aegon V tried to return dragons to the world.”

“My love,” she said with a soft smile. “I am not sure if or when these dragons will hatch. I can feel the life within them. They want us to help keep them safe until they are ready to break free of their shells. However, I do know that they are not meant for us. They do not want us to hatch them because we have already bonded with dragons.”

“Then who?”

“Our child,” she said with a sweet smile as she placed his hand on her still flat stomach. “And other children we might have in the future.”

Jon could not help but smile when he thought about their child. He then remembered a story Old Nan told him and his siblings when they were children. “When I was a boy,” Jon said as he flexed his fingers over her abdomen, “Our nursemaid wou;d tell us stories. One of these was about how Targaryen’s would place a dragon egg in the cradle with their babies…”

“So the baby could form a bond with their dragon,” Dany finished his sentence with a smile. “They would do this so the dragon inside the egg could determine if the child was worthy enough to be a dragonrider.” 

“How will we know which of the eggs is meant for our child?”

“When the time comes, we will just know,” she replied matter-of-factly, taking her hand and smoothing out the creases on his face before pressing a soft kiss to his lips. “Now lets see what is in the trunk Lord Eddard brought for you from Dorne.”

Jon got up and brought the wooden trunk over to where they were sitting. Once they were both settled down in front of the burning fire, he opened the trunk and began to sort through the items. There were several trinkets, such as a ring with the Targaryen sigil that would have been used to stamp and seal scrolls and a broach with the Stark direwolf. 

“This broach must have belonged to my mother,” Jon murmured as his fingers ghosted across the delicate silver heirloom. 

“This ring must have been your father’s... Rhaegar’s signet,” Dany whispered as she inspected the golden ring embossed with the three headed dragon of their house. “He left it behind for you,” she added as she slid the ring onto the fifth finger of his left hand. 

Jon stared at his finger for a few moments. He still could not believe he was not a bastard. That he had never been a bastard. That he was a member of one of the strongest houses to ever live on Westeros. 

“It suits you,” Dany said, pressing a kiss to the ring on his finger. “Make you look like the true Targaryen king you were born.

“Thank you,” Jon smiled and pressed a kiss to her cheek. Again he was thankful for her and cursing himself for pushing her away - _All the time we were apart, she could have been helping me embrace my Targaryen heritage… Gods I was such a fucking fool._

Next, they began to sort through the stack of old letters that had been secured with a cream colored silk ribbon. Jon untied the ribbon and set it aside as he began to thumb through the old letters and documents.

“Jon, do you know what this is?” Dany asked, holding up the ribbon.

He stared at the cream ribbon his bride-to-be was holding. The ribbon was long and silky. It appeared to be high quality, but that was to be expected considering his mother married the crown prince of Westeros and she herself was highborn. “I’m not sure,” Jon shrugged after a few moments. “Perhaps it is a sash that belonged to a dress?”

“No,” Dany replied simply.

“Then what is it,” Jon asked looking up from the stack of old parchment he held in his hands.

“I have seen one of these once before. When I was a child in Braavos,” she said with a soft smile. “You see, Braavos is a bustling seaport, so people come from all over the world to trade goods. Because of this, there are septs and temples and places of worship for most every religion.” Confusion must have been clear on his face, so she smiled a bit wider and continued. “Jon, this ribbon that is used by a septon to bind a man and woman together as husband and wife.”

“Do… Do you think this was my parents wedding ribbon,” Jon mumbled in disbelief as he took the soft scrap of silk from her.

“I am sure Bran could tell us… If it is, perhaps we can use it when we wed tomorrow night,” she added almost shyly.

Jon could not help but smile. However, he knew he needed to inform her about a wedding before the old gods. So explained that unlike a wedding in the eyes of the seven, there would be binding with a ribbon and that the ceremony would be a rather short affair. That typically the bride is escorted by her father or next of kin to the Heart Tree in the Godswood where her groom and the person presiding over the Wedding will be waiting for her. When the bride arrives at the Weirwood, a ceremonial conversation takes place where the identity of the bride, groom and the person giving the bride away are established. The bride is asked to accept her husband, and upon her agreement, the bride and groom join hands, kneel before the heart tree, bow their heads and silently request the old gods bless their union. After the silent prayer, the couple rises, the groom removes her maiden cloak and places the bridal cloak around her shoulders before picking her up in his arms and carrying her to the celebratory feast.

“Who is going to walk me to the Weirwood Tree? Who is going to preside over our ceremony?” Dany asked in a rush. “I don’t have a maiden cloak or a bridal cloak…” 

“Don’t worry love,” Jon said, pressing a kiss to her brow. “I am sure Gendry would be honored to walk you to the Weirwood…”

“Gendry?” Dany asked. However her confusion seemed to clear quickly and a smile formed on the corners of her lips. “I guess that he would be my closest known kin… besides you.”

“Aye,” Jon said, returning her smile. “As for who will preside over our ceremony. Typically it is the oldest living relative of the groom… there is not a written holy text stating exactly who must preside over the ceremony, they must just be a believer of the Old Gods.” 

“Perhaps we can ask Bran if he would perform the honors,” Dany suggested.

“I would like that,” Jon agreed, pressing another chaste kiss to her lips. “I will ask him later tonight.” 

The next few minutes were spent in silence as they read through the letter in the pile. They appeared to be a series of letters written between his parents. The letters were quite vague, most likely in case any were intercepted, but even so, Jon could feel the love the two shared for one another. Also in the stack were a few letters written in Valyrian - they had been written between Uncle Aemon and his birth father. As Dany read the letter aloud to him, Jon smiled knowing his Great Uncle Aemon not only gave him council, but counseled his father in his time of need. 

However, at the bottom of the stack was a document that gave him pause. “Impossible,” Jon muttered as he reread the document, still not believing what was written on the old parchment.

“Jon, what is it?” Dany asked.

“It is a document signed by High Septon Maynard, Prince Rhaegar, Princess Elia, my mother and Prince Doran Martell…” Jon trailed off as he handed the old paper to Daenerys who read the document out loud.

** DECREE of DISSOLUTION of MARRIAGE**

** On this, the 23rd Day of the Sixth Moonturn of the year 282 AC let it be known the marriage between Crown Prince Rhaegar Targaryen and Princess Elia Martell has been dissolved in the eyes of the Seven. The issues of the dissolved union, Princess Rhaenys Targaryen and Prince Aegon Targaryen will continue to be recognized as legitimate in the eyes of the gods and will retain their place as heirs in the line of succession to the Iron Throne.  
  
Let it be known, Prince Rhaegar and Princess Elia are free to remarry others in the eyes of the gods. Princess Elia has agreed to the union between Prince Rhaegar and Lady Lyanna Stark. Any issue between a union of Prince Rhaegar and his new wife will fall behind his first two children in the line of succession. If the Princess Elia chooses to remarry, any issue between her and her new husband will not be given a spot in the line of succession to the Iron Throne.  
  
Let it be known, the Principality of Dorne is in agreement of this decree. Princess Elia will retain the title of Princess of the Seven Kingdoms but will not be granted the title of Queen. She will also be awarded a position on the Small Council once Prince Rhaegar has ascended to the Iron Throne. **

** Maynard, High Septon of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros  
Rhaegar Targaryen, Crown Prince of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros  
Princess Elia Martell of Sunspear  
Doran Martell, Prince of Dorne  
Lady Lyanna Stark of Winterfell  
**

“I guess this is why Fa-Uncle Ned told Uncle Benjen the key to my legitimacy was in the trunk,” Jon said, taking the letter from Daenerys and carefully placing it on the table next to the wedding ribbon.

“I would have to agree,” Dany said softly, taking his hand in hers and giving it a gentle squeeze. 

Again Jon’s mind was a jumble of emotions. All along, the key to his legitimacy had been buried beside his mother’s bones. Another gentle squeeze from Dany brought him from his swirling thoughts.

“Jon, you are brooding. Talk to me, please.”

He wanted to say he was fine, but he knew that Dany knew better and the last thing he wanted was for her to think he did not trust her. He exhaled sharply and pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to find the right words before meeting her concerned gazed. “I guess I just don’t understand why he never told me. I mean… I understand why but he could have left me a note that led me to the chest. Or even Uncle Benjen could have given me a message before he left on that ranging mission.”

“I wish I could give you answers. But I can’t,” she said as she took his head in her hands. “We might never know the answers to why they did not leave you a clue but we do know they wanted to keep you safe and Lord Eddard kept his promise that he would never tell Robert Baratheon the truth of your parentage.

Jon nodded and after collecting himself he grabbed the last few things from the chest. There was a brown leather bound book with a weirwood embossed in the cover and a black cloak. He handed the cloak to Daenerys as he examined the book.

After reading the first few paragraphs realized just what he held and tears began to form in his eyes. “This is my mother’s journal… It was a gift from Rhaegar… My Father. He gave it to her when he had to leave to fight in the Rebellion. He wanted her to write down everything he missed…” Jon trailed off unable to read the book at the moment. It made him happy to know that his birth father truly did love and want him, but he just was not ready to read what his mother had written. 

Dany seemed to understand. She set the cloak she was inspecting to the side and held him until his tears dried. 

After his tears stopped falling, he noticed the red stitching of the three headed Targaryen Dragon on the black cloak. 

“It’s a beautiful cloak,” Dany said as she followed his eyes. “I suppose it was also a gift from my brother to your mother.”

“Aye, he did,” Jon confirmed with a smile. “It’s a bridal cloak. He must have given it to her when they wed.” 

A knock at the door prevented Dany from replying. 

The couple got up from the floor and made their way to the wooden door. When they opened the door, on the other side was a smirking Bran and his sister Arya.

“Come in,” Jon gestured.

“No,” Bran stated before Arya could push his wheeledchair into the room. “We must go down to the courtyard. All of us. Someone very special will be arriving in a few minutes and we all need to be there to welcome him back to Winterfell.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed.


End file.
